For Lea (Axel) Lovers: You Are Mine!
by Bayanette Winters
Summary: ReaderxLea/Axel. You and Isa have been dating since before you started college years ago, but the longer you've been together, the more distant you've become. After one fateful night with the eccentric redhead, however, your world gets even more turned upside down than before! If true love can conquer all, it'd better do it quickly! Has some mild sexual themes and swearing.
1. Part 1

_In a parallel universe, maybe we'd be destined for each other... Maybe..._

"_y/n_," your boyfriend said, pulling you from your thoughts. "I forgot my textbook. Grab it from the library, would you?"

You turned to him in confusion. "But...class is about to start." You and Isa had English in 5 minutes, and a trip to the library across campus took about 12. The boy's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Then you'd better run."

You huffed. "Fine." He _always_ made you do tasks like this. You hated him telling you what to do, but the time you spend starting another argument with him could be better spent sprinting. You headed off.

The halls were otherwise empty, as most campus classes had started already, so you were able to go a lot faster than usual. The walls that were filled with columns of books seemed to groan lazily in the room's silence. They greeted you with a sharp scent of dust and a new vase of flowers at the front desk. No one was there, so you slipped through the entrance relatively unnoticed. You searched the sturdy tables and lounge chairs for Isa's textbook, but it was nowhere to be found.

Strange of him to leave it in the first place, you thought. Could he have lied to you about leaving it? He wasn't the type to frazzle you like this, but perhaps he was made about something that you weren't aware of?

A thick paperback landed on your head. Your vision flickered for just a moment and you rubbed your scalp with a yelp.

"Oh. Sorry." A very tall and slender redhead climbed down from his stepstool to grab the book at your feet. He gave you a half-apologetic shrug before ascending again to find the thing's home. You stared up at the boy with vague curiosity; you'd seen his thin form somewhere before.

"You don't sound terribly sorry," you told him. He shrugged again.

"Nope," he replied. "You shouldn't have been in the way." You scowled, but other matters were more pressing than starting an argument.

"Hey, have you seen a Literature 1100 textbook around here? My boyfriend left it in this room, I think." A gray cart was beside the boy's stool, and he reluctantly descended to shuffle through it.

"Here." He said. He practically threw it at your chest. You were just graceful enough to catch it: something that wouldn't happen again in a million years, thanks to your accident-prone genetics.

"Thanks," you muttered. The clock in the hall made a long "clang", and you remembered that class is starting without you. You swore under your breath and started sprinting again. The redhead called after you:

"Tell Isa to stop leaving his things were they'll get lost!"

You paused for only a moment; he knew-?

Another noise from the clock and you're off again. Damn Isa for making you do his dirty work! You were certain that Professor Ansem wouldn't forgive yet another tardy.

...

Taking a deep breath that night, you started heading up towards Isa's dorm room. You'd finally decided to forgive him for the fourth tardy of the month, but only because it was your three year anniversary tonight. A little forgiveness could be shed for such an occasion, right? You had made sure to wear your best black dress and heels, taking careful steps to your lover's door. After a few knocks, Isa let you in.

"Hey," he said, spreading open the door and returning to his desk. You saw his attire was as usual: his favorite blue cut-off vest that had white stripes along the sides and edges, and a black tank top beneath it. His dark jeans slender enough to show off his toned legs. You tilted your head at him as you walked in; wasn't he going to dress up for your date?

While he hastily scribbled into a worn yellow notepad, you took a seat on his bed. It was firm, not allowing your form to sink in too far. Looking across the room, you saw one of his roommates, Braig, sprawled over his lush mattress. A small book was in his hands, but you weren't sure if it was for study or if it was shielding the contents of the latest "Guns & Ammo". Braig gave you a glance with his one good eye, the other hidden behind a black patch.

"What's up, _y/n_?" He greeted. You shrugged casually.

"Nothin' much," you replied. "How's your pink-eye doing?" Braig touched the pirate patch.

"Honestly, I get it so often I'm thinking about just leaving this thing on." You tried to laugh, but your eyes kept going back to Isa. When were you going to leave? Braig returned to his reading and you glanced to the room's third bed. Its quilted covers were red and looked extremely warm and inviting, but it occurred to you that you'd never seen who occupied them.

Isa, as always, noticed when your face made that unattractive thinking-scowl and sighed.

"Lea rarely gets back to the dorm before morning," he said.

"He's usually getting into trouble at nightclubs or messing with the school staff," Braig added, grinning wickedly. "If your boy wasn't such a stiff, we'd be out there with him."

"I'm glad that Isa stays out of trouble," you said with a smile at your boyfriend. "It's something I love about him."

"I bet you could be exciting if you wanted to be. Maybe you just need to break this blue-haired nerd out of his shell."

Isa gave Braig a brief scowl. "I'm fine the way that I am." You hated the awkwardness that the boys shared, so you found yourself babbling again.

"W-well, I don't think I could ever be a partier like the other campus students." You twisted some of your hair between your fingers. "I always hated getting in trouble when I was younger."

"You're an adult now, sweetheart!" Braig sat up and let his shoes drop over the floor. "You can do what you want!"

"Speaking of which...," Isa began, finally looking over at you with his steely amber eyes. "What are you doing here?"

Forgiveness, you reminded yourself. You struggled for a sweet smile. "It's our anniversary, silly! I thought we had plans to go out tonight."

Isa gave an, "Oh", but kept to his furious note-taking. "I can't tonight. We'll have to reschedule." _Reschedule?_ You felt anger well within you and could think of Forgiveness no more.

"You're so frustrating! First, you make me late to class _again_ without even trying to defend me, then you forget our date? Now, you want to _reschedule _our anniversary? How can you be so insensitive?"

"I have more important things to do." He gave you a glare that said, "Don't act like this in front of my roommate."

"Fine. You know what? Larxene has been asking me to go out with her anyway. I'll just spend my anniversary with her!"

"You will most certainly not." Isa stood as you did. "She's a terrible influence. I forbid you to hang out with her."

"_Forbid_?!" That was it. You had to exercise _all _of your willpower to keep from thrashing the beautiful scar on his face. "You can't tell me what to do!"

"You are my girlfriend and you will do as I say."

"Yeah, right. I'll just _always_ bend to _your _will." You stormed out of there without hearing another word, and were extremely disappointed when Isa didn't follow you out. You seemed to remember a time when he'd follow you after a fight and try to make it all up to you. Maybe those times were just a dream.

"It'll be great," Larxene assured you, forcing you to follow her towards the beach bonfire. You suddenly weren't so sure that it was wise to be out partying with your roommate; she was much more ostentatious than you were. Still, you were going to show Isa that he couldn't control who you hung out with. "Hey, your phone's buzzing."

You glanced at your pocket, finally filling the vibrate. Pulling it out, you saw Isa's name and number flash. You felt your willpower weaken; maybe he wanted to apologize? You almost caved to answer the call, but Larxene took it from you first.

"Hello?" She answered for you. Her face contorted. "Well, _sorry_." She passed it to you, mouthing: _asshole_. You brought the phone to your ear.

"Yeah?"

"Where are you? I want you come back this instant. That harlot will only lead you to trouble." You flared at the tone he took with you. How could he call one of your best friends a harlot? Sure, she was kind of devious and flirtatious, but she paid her half of the dorm room rent on time and always helped you with chores and homework! That made up for her sinful behavior outside of campus, didn't it?

"I will not. This _harlot_ and I are already out, and won't return until you apologize to both of us!" You hung up the phone and Larxene giggled.

"That'll show him!" She cried in triumph, high-fiving you. While her enthusiasm helped, you felt guilty for acting so childish towards your man. Maybe you should call back and say you're sorry...

Larxene seemed to hear your thoughts and dragged you to the party before you could feel anymore remorse. You were led through dozens upon dozens of other students, some of which were in your Honors classes. You were shocked to see so many devout classmates downing drinks and dancing like exotic dancers.

"Isn't this great!" Larxene said, pulling you towards a keg. She got you both red Solo cups and started chugging hers down. You stared at the girl for a moment. This was a side you didn't see of your friend very often. Larxene wasn't her real name, obviously, but she thought the rearrangement of letters with the added "x" made her seem fiercer. Guys had responded to it well, though maybe they were more attracted to her daring personality, her short and strangely cut blonde hair, and her vivacious figure. You weren't sure which it was.

"Delicious!" Larxene shouted, filling up another cup and heading into the crowd. She had seemed to forget you, and you lost her in the mesh of people within moments.

"Wait! Larxene!" Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. You felt so out of place in the crowd. You felt that you were fairly innocent-minus a few passionate sessions with your boyfriend-and wished desperately not to sully your good name with such immature behavior. You pulled out your cell: it was time to call Isa and beg for forgiveness. On the bright screen, you saw a text from him. It read: _Come home now, or you'll suffer the consequences._

Consequences? Really? You growled at the phone and shoved it into your pocket. The drink in your hand was downed within a few moments. You'd never been one to drink and gagged on the burning alcohol. Gross! Your pocket buzzed again. A nearby student helped you fill the cup once more, and down the acid went. Feeling a bit dizzy, you took a deep breath and opened the cell. You had to go closer to the lapping waves for this one, as the burning bonfire created a horrible glare on your screen (or perhaps you were getting drunk?). The message read this:

_Home. Now. Or Else._

_Pfft. _Or else this! You reared your arm back and threw the device into the sea. You were immensely proud of yourself,...until you remembered that your parents were paying for your data plan. You cursed and kicked off your shoes, rushing into the water to retrieve your phone. The water did its best to knock you down-though a feather could probably topple you at that point-but you struggled hard to find your technological leash to the rest of the world. Another series of splashes approached your side and soon, the phone was in you hand.

"You're lucky that your throwing arm sucks worse than your drinking," a voice told you with a snort. The redhead from earlier glowed against the fire behind you both, a grin set into his lips. You huffed.

"I'm not exactly athletic," you muttered. Your voice wanted to slur, but you tried your best to resist the urge. You wouldn't let this loser have the satisfaction of being proved right about your alcohol content. You cradled your device, which was soaked and refusing to turn on again. You sighed; you'd need to get a new one in the morning. Your parents would be pissed about spending money on a new device months before an upgrade opportunity. You went to sit on your butt when, to your surprise, you sunk waist-deep into the water. The redhead laughed as he helped up your flailing form.

"Man, you're drunk off of your ass." His cackle grew at his joke. You struggled out of his hold and returned to the beach, now completely drenched. You glanced around and realized that, in your angry blur, you'd led yourself to a small cove just outside of the party. Not too far off, you could see a few couples making out on the sand. Making a face, you turned the opposite direction. It was colder in the shadows that the moon above cast, but you didn't want to go awkwardly past those hormonal students. So, you resorted to plopping down in the sand behind some rocks and staring up at the sky. The stars were brighter out here than they were at your dorm, and you couldn't help but sigh in relief. You half wondered if you were meant to live among those twinkling lights-that's why you had changed your major to Astronomy last semester. You felt that you'd always be happy if you could study the worlds outside of your own for your career.

"Gorgeous, huh?" The redhead headed your way from the water, following your gaze to the midnight ceiling.

"Yeah," you breathed. The boy sat beside you; even slouching, he was a head or two taller than you could ever hope to be.

"Look at that; we agree on something." He sat back among the grains and for awhile, you both sat in silence as you admired the heavens. You were all too aware of his burning presence the entire time, and felt the exact moment when he turned his gaze to you. "So, what are you drinking to tonight?" You met his glance.

"Excuse me?"

"The way you were drinking, I could tell it was your first taste of booze. Most people who chug alcohol that fast have reasons for being so reckless." You turned away, ashamed to show your face to this stranger and the constellations you loved so.

"My boyfriend and I got into a fight."

"Ah. I thought so." You looked at the boy again, narrowing your gaze.

"Are you stalking me or something? You seem to think you know a lot about me." The boy's sideways glance made you grow more suspicious.

"You're just paranoid."

"But...how did you know Isa then?"

The boy didn't tense or flinch. "Who?"

"Isa. You told me to make sure he didn't leave his stuff lying around."

"Oh, him. Who doesn't know the Scholarship student?"

"Never mind." This boy was good at avoiding questions; it was clear you'd never get anywhere with him.

"Isa's your boy, yeah?"

"Yes."

"Well, what would you have to fight about with such a smart guy?" He saw that your face was guarded and swiftly added, "What? It's a valid question."

You still wouldn't respond. The redhead sighed.

"Look, I'm trying to help you. Sometimes, it helps to tell a stranger about your problems." Apparently, that was all you needed, because you burst into tears and told him your whole story. To your surprised, the boy was patient and listened to every word you spilled. He didn't make any jokes or even move until you finished.

Sniffling, you said, "Maybe I should just go home and apologize. I'm being such a hypocrite, drinking and partying out here. I don't belong with these people..."

"I don't think you're in the wrong here," the redhead spoke after a long pause. You gave him a sidelong glance. "You just wanted to be validated. You wanted to feel like he loved you like a girlfriend, not a slave. He should've been the one to cave and apologize."

"You...really think so?" Larxene had been the only one to agree with you so far, but it was for more malicious reasons. Otherwise, very few had agreed with you on Isa-matters.

"Yeah. You've got a lot to offer. You're smart, you're fun, and you're super hot. Isa should be the one afraid of losing _you._ There are plenty of other guys that would take you as their girlfriend in a heartbeat."

You rubbed your nose, your snot and tears drying out. "How would you know?"

"Because I see them in the library. You must be pretty dense not to notice the other guys leering at you all of the time."

"Really?" You thought yourself pretty ordinary. You weren't supermodel skinny or pretty, your hair got split ends, and you got terribly acne when you were PMSing. You were pretty average...but could you have been missing all of the stares?

The boy put a hand on your head, the warm fingers rubbing you gently. "Of course. You're a person worth being adored and worshiped, so you shouldn't be selling yourself so short. Got it memorized?" He tapped a finger to his temple with a bright, energetic grin. You suddenly looked at him-_really _looked. You examined his sharp and light facial features, trying not to ogle the body beneath. He had a long nose, thin peach lips, and two brilliant emerald eyes that reflected the beautiful stars above - the entire night sky was there, it seemed. It was tantalizing.

Rather than meet the twin heavens head-on, you at last glanced over his clothing. He wore an unzipped black jacket with silver chain-drawstrings hanging over his bare, toned chest. His blue jeans had been rolled up halfway past his thighs, which had wet edges from the ocean. His feet lacked shoes from his ocean journey and his naked toes burrowed into the sand. His skin, not too pale or too tan, shimmered with wet beads in the moonlight. _Beautiful_.

He jumped in surprise and grinned wider. "I've never had a girl tell me _that _before."

Dammit, why did you just say that last thought out loud? You blushed and stared hard at the lunar circle overhead. The boy was quiet for a long time; if his hand wasn't still resting in your hair, you would've thought he'd left.

"Would I be coming on too strong if I told you how cute you are when you blush?"

You didn't know how to respond and met his gaze once more. Your heart pounded as you became lost in the universe's mysteries. Your polite and honest nature made you say, "Yeah. But I don't mind right now."

"How about if I said…." He shook his head, his mouth open slightly in a deep frown. He looked as though he were trying to spit out the words that slinked to his lips. However, the efforts were futile; the thought arrived without his approval: "...that I really want to kiss you?" Your heart gave a brisk gallop, nearly lodging itself permanently in your throat. It made your voice weak.

"You shouldn't say things like that..."

He had already started leaning in, and you felt something pull you towards him - some force that you knew you should resist, but didn't want to. The redhead's nose touched yours, and you felt a spark burst against your skin.

"What if I said that I wanted to stay with you on this beach for...?" He couldn't seem to think of a time. You could see a struggle in his face, making his brows close together. He didn't make much effort to move - probably because you didn't either.

"I think that sounds...nice."

His lips pressed over yours, giving you a single swift kiss. The sensation of his burning skin was...addicting, to say the least. You let him kiss you again. This test was longer than the last and, by the time he pulled back again, you could feel your fingers getting jittery. He must've felt the same way; he initiated a full-on attack, his eyes surrendering to the passion in their depths. His mouth was upon yours and a fire flared in your chest. He pulled you into his lap where he could wrap your entire body in his arms. They traveled everywhere, igniting something in you that you thought had faded years ago.

Wait, when had it disappeared? Had you not noticed when your passion vanished?

As your hands not-so-hesitantly rose to the redhead's chest, you felt all thoughts and doubts disappear. You thought of nobody and nothing else. The boy tasted of sugar and spice, his skin felt like touching a solidified flame, and the trail his fingers left on the seam-made indents in your skin made your muscles tense then relax repeatedly. On the beach that night, you felt the party and the ocean and the sky dissolve around you until nothing was left but you, the boy, and that little patch of sand that kept you afloat.


	2. Part 2

The next morning was so blurry. Your brain was pounding, your body was aching, your ears were beginning to have a police siren ring louder and louder. You cried out as you realized that the noise was your alarm clock and threw out an arm to hit your little round clock. Silence filled the room and a twisted smile rose to your face. You turned around and sighed. You probably needed to get ready for school.

Larxene groaned from her bed across from you, and you heard blankets shift. Someone opened a door and closed it. Footsteps got closer and closer before shaking you.

"C'mon! It's time to get going!" Kairi's voice called. You mumbled something that you didn't even understand. She shook you again. Your childhood friend came in every Saturday to take you the morning Oceanography you shared. It was about the only time you ever got to see her. Otherwise, she was busy with her other Marine Biologist classes and you with your Astronomy. "Sleepyhead! Wake up!" She threw your covers off of you and gasped a bit. You moaned and sat up. Kairi's bright blue eyes were looking at your body and you followed their gaze, rubbing the sleep out of you.

"Wha…?" You were shocked to see that you were still in your jeans and tee from the bonfire last night and they were covered in beads of wicked sand. As you stared at it, your memories from last night returning, all you could think was: Damn, this will never come out.

"What did you do last night?" Kairi asked, trying to scoop some of the sand off of your bed and into a nearby trash can.

"What didn't she do?" Came Larxene's voice. She was on her stomach, drinking something fizzy. Her grin was wicked and you had to hurriedly throw a pillow her way to get her to shut up. Kairi gave you a brow raise, but decided to drop it for the moment. She helped you get out of bed and get ready for the day. It was a great struggle on your part, and you knew that if you didn't have Kairi, you'd never have been able to make it past the first step out of bed. As she rushed you out of the room, Larxene (who was amazingly bright and perky for her partying night) gave you a glass full of her "Special Fizz". As you chugged it and pulled your school bag over your shoulder, you felt your headache slowly subside. You could decently function for the day.

"So...what did happen last night?" She sat you both down in the back row-something she'd never do unless she wanted to gossip. "Did something happen between you and Isa?"

For some reason, when she said your boyfriend's name, the redhead popped into your mind. You gasped, then groaned, then covered your face in shame.

"Oh my God, what have I done?" You asked. Some girls in the next row glanced back at you questionably. You pretended not to notice.

"What's going on?" Kairi wore a concerned face. She'd known you since, well, forever. There was no way you'd be able to hide the truth, so….

"I think I slept with someone last night." You said softly. "Someone...not Isa."

"What?" Kairi slapped a hand over her mouth. You whimpered as the girls glanced at you again. Kairi waited until everyone's attention was off of you before she continued. "What do you mean?"

"I met this guy at the library yesterday getting Isa's book, then…." You told Kairi everything; your conscience was beginning to wield a hammer and threatened to pound your brains into mush. Kairi listened to every word you said and remained objective until you were done. Just as you finished, you suddenly realized something: "Oh my god, I don't even know his name!" Your head hit the table, but it didn't hurt more than your guilty heart.

"Calm down, calm down," Kairi whispered, patting your back. She thought in silence for a moment. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know… Isa's probably already furious because my phone died and he wasn't able to get a hold of me….." He'd riot after this news….

"Who else knows about this?"

"Larxene apparently. I think that she took me home after I came off of the beach with the guy."

"Well...what are you going to tell Isa?"

"I don't know…" Kairi sat beside you as tears prodded at the edges of your eyes. She either didn't know what to say, or was waiting for your to regain control of your emotions before speaking. Your headache came back almost a moment after you did; it looked like Larxene's magical little potion was only a temporary fix. You spoke again to try and get your mind off of it. "You know what the most twisted part is?"

"What?"

"I actually had a great time. I mean, besides the scandal, he's actually really fun to talk to. He's a pyrotechnic who's into the undergraduate film program here and hopes to do special effects for movies. His brothers are all older than he is, but most of them are doctors outside of the country. He doesn't see them very much anymore, but he doesn't mind being on his own so much."

"Not to rub salt in the wound," Kairi finally said, "but you learned all of that about him, and didn't think to ask his name?" You laughed ruefully.

"Yeah. What a stupid mistake."

Kairi took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then resolved to release it. "Look. This isn't going to go away. You need to tell Isa and you need to do it before it builds up between you."

"You're absolutely right." You could always count on Kairi to tell you when you've messed up and how you need to fix it.

"And, after that, you need to decide how you feel about Isa."

"Huh?" You turned to your friend, giving her a quizzical expression.

"Look, you're not the type of person to hurt the people you love. If you truly felt loyal to Isa…."

"I wouldn't have done...what I did." You sighed. "I see where you're going." Your professor walked in, shushing his students. Kairi gave you a pat on your shoulder.

"Listen, no matter what happens, you can always talk to me. I'll support you the whole way." Through your headache, you knew you were about to cry.

"Thank you."

It took some time after your only class of they day, but you were able to get your new phone ordered. With your parents' help, it'd be to you by Monday. You were relieved to have that out of the way and headed back to your dorm.

Larxene was gone for the day-probably had a class for her Meteorologist Major to take care of-so you were all alone in your room. You did anything you could to avoid the subject of Isa; you tried studying, crochet, drawing, even cleaning your half of the dorm space. Suddenly, you ran out of things to do. You supposed that you could just nap off your headache. (You'd already tried to find your roommate's secret potion, but found nothing).

Someone knocked on your door and you slumped over your pillow. "Can't I just be left alone to sleep?" You turned the knob and nearly jumped out of your skin.

"Isa?!" You didn't mean to squeal...but you did.

"I thought you'd be here," the blue-haired boy said folding his arms over his chest. His eyes held their usual stern expression as their pierced your very soul. "Why haven't you been answering your phone?"

"I-it died. I had to order a new one today." It took some more staring before he seemed to believe you. Your frustration prodded behind your headache.

"Where did you go last night?"

"Ugh, please Isa, I don't want to do this thing right now." Something suddenly occurred to you. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be in class?" He normally had classes all day Monday-Saturday. What was he doing skipping class?

"Answer my questions, and I'll answer yours."

You pouted. "I went to the beach with Larxene and a few of her friends." Isa mouthed: "Harlot" between his teeth.

"And I assume you drank?"

"How would you know?"

"Braig comes in with the same bleary-eyed look sometimes." He gestured to your face and you shook your head.

"So, I drank. I wouldn't have done that if you had kept our date." You saw Isa look away; for once, you'd inspired some remorse into his expression.

"Your choices aren't my fault."

"Maybe not. But your possessiveness and lack of desire to see me drove me to it. I just wanted to spend some time with you without being ordered around and treated like the dirt you use for your science projects. Was that too much to ask.?"

Isa was quiet for a long time, but he met your eyes with innocent curiosity. You wondered if he knew what you'd done and was trying to talk to you about it, o maybe he….

"I'm sorry."

If you had been drinking water, you would've spewed it all over the place. "What?"

"I'm sorry. You're right. I should've been more sensitive to your feelings." He stepped into your room, and he did something shocking-he gently cradled your shoulders in his hands. "I didn't mean to drive you to misbehave with that...roommate of yours. I should've been kinder."

"Woah…." You didn't know what to say, so you stepped out of his arms. He seemed to take it as a sign that you were still hurt. On the contrary, you were fairly certain that you were supposed to be the one apologizing to him.  
>"Let me...make this up to you. I'll take you out tonight."<p>

You almost gasped. "Really?" You wondered if you were dreaming. Isa hadn't offered to take you on a date for months. Your time together was always ...scheduled.

"My roommates and I are going to a play tonight. I thought it was a very borish idea, but I know that you like the Theater Majors' performances…." You threw your arms around Isa.

"That sounds so wonderful!" You told him, enjoying the smell of his Blue Moon Cologne. "Thank you." Isa pulled you off of him, staring into your eyes as he held your hips. His amber stare had softened and he gave you a very rare Isa-smile. You didn't expect it in a million years, but he leaned in to kiss you lips. It was very cool, like ice or a midnight stroll during a full moon. It was a night-and day difference from what the redhead's kisses had been like-

Stop thinking about that, you hissed to yourself. You instead focused on Isa's gentle kiss, enjoying every moment of it (and thanking yourself for scrubbing the hangover out of your teeth).

"Ahem." Larxene had appeared in the doorway and laughed as you and Isa jumped. Isa's scorn returned as he distrustfully eyed your roommate. "Sorry to interrupt. I just forgot to grab a textbook." She picked up a thick book from the stack you'd organized by her bed. "If you're going to get do 'math homework', make sure you don't do it on the desk. I really like that thing., and I wouldn't want you two to break it like you did the last one." Larxene winked at you as she left again, and you saw the secret message in her eyes: she'd take your secret to the grave. The question now was, could you do that?

You frowned to yourself. When Isa asked if you were alright, you peered into his warming eyes and…

"Yeah, I'm just still tired is all." You chickened out. You couldn't do it when he was being so sincere to you. It felt like old times; you were so sweet to each other when you'd first started dating and had missed it so much in the passing years. Isa didn't seem to think much of it.

"Well, I need to leave. I'm late for class." He started walking away, but you held onto his hand.

"Wait, you skipped class? For real?"

"Yes. I felt that this was…." He turned away as his cheeks flushed. "Important." You smiled, your heart beginning to warm so fiercely that you were going to burst. You hurriedly leaned over to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you." He smiled-just slightly-and squeezed your hand before he left. You felt the first bud of guilt begin to plant in your heart and tried to ignore it. You were foolish, but you considered that maybe this would all go away.

Isa picked you up that night and even complimented you on your dress. It was the one you were going to wear yesterday, but threw off when Isa cancelled your date. An immense amount of pride swelled in your heart as you knew he noticed it. He took you to the campus' cafe's theater, which was filled with tables instead of rows of seats. Isa would normally mention something about the childish nature of how the area was set up, but did his best to refrain this time. You laughed and told him that he could say whatever he wanted. He breathed a sigh of relief and bashed the entire layout, from the pattern of the tiles to the curve of the ceiling. It didn't bother you tonight, because it was who Isa was-your Isa. He may not have been perfect, but you sure did love him.

"Ah, nothin' better than hearing Isa take the fun out of things," Braig said as he approached. He slapped Isa's back, nearly knocking the wind out of him. The eye-patch man laughed loudly, drawing the attention of the others around him. Isa sighed and shook his head. "Aw, c'mon, Ol' Blue. I'm just poking fun at you." He turned his attention to you, calling out your name and giving you a big bear hug. You grunted under his hold until Isa yanked you free; he didn't seem to like Braig being so friendly with your torso. You just giggled.

"Oh, hey! Guess what, sweetheart?" Braig put an arm around your shoulders.

"What?" You asked as Isa threw the man's arm off of you.

"You're going to have the honor of meeting the great and illusive...Lea!" He made it sound like you were about to meet the president of the U.S. You looked over at Isa.

"Really? The best friend that I never really get to hear about?" Isa had told you only once or twice about his BFF and ever since then, you'd been horrendously curious about this man. Isa wouldn't deem anyone with such a title unless they were pretty fantastic.

"Yes. You'll finally get to see who he is." Isa smiled at the thought. You could tell that he really cared about him.

"Hey! Here he is now!" Braig shouted, throwing out his arms. "What's up, man?!" You turned around as the strange man ran to his friend and thought that you were going to drop dead.

It was the redhead. Lea was the redhead from the library and the night before. And he was here….as Isa's best friend.

The boy gave you a swift glance, not nearly as shocked as you were to find out his identity.

"So, this is the one that Isa badgers to be his girlfriend," the redhead joked as he held out his hand to you. You hesitantly shook it. Leftover sparks from the night befor buzzed between your fingers.

"Nice to finally meet you," you muttered, your mouth practically on the floor. Your boyfriend sensed your surprise.

"You've met before?" He surmised. You glanced between the two men and were at a total loss for words. Shit.

"Yeah," Lea stepped in, shoving his hands into his beige cargo pants. "We met in the library yesterday when she came to pick up your book, you slacker."

Isa rolled his eyes.

"So that's how you knew Isa's name," you said without thinking. Your boyfriend's eyes raised slightly. Did you not know how to shut up?

"I may have shouted some profanities about you as she left." Damn, Lea was too good at lying to his friend.

"Sounds like you," Isa said, seeming to relax. He wrapped his arm around your waist, bringing you closer than he was normally comfortable with in public. You blushed as Lea examined you both.

"Shall we?" Braig gestured to your table. The show was about to start.

"I'm going to sit by your girl," Lea told his friend. "I wanna get to know the girl who you've brainwashed into liking you."

"Haha," Isa mocked. "Its just adorable how hilarious you think you are."

"Yeah, I'm pretty great, aren't I?"

As you all took your seats, you felt an immense tension rise. On one side of you, midnight ice began to build up as it held your hand on the table where everybody could see. On the other end, a flame started rising that threatened to burn the table and, at the very least, the world. You stayed silent as the performance began and realized that the real show was just about to begin.

... ... ... ... ... ...

Hello! Chapter 2! I wanted my story to show that cheating doesn't always sound as glamorous as the media makes it seems. we'll see what happens next! :0


	3. Part 3

The play was good...at least, you assumed so. You honestly didn't pay attention to any of it. You were too busy glancing between your boyfriend and the man you'd cheated on your boyfriend with. And Braig, you supposed; he was at that table, too. The boys all acted oblivious to the rising tension between the two males on either side of you. You weren't sure how to react to it; you were still reeling from the fact that Lea was Isa's best friend. You felt like you should've known somehow, but….

Suddenly, everyone around you started clapping. You followed suit, trying to ignore the glare as you pulled your hand out of Isa's. The boy had to suspect something, or else he would be acting so possessive.

"Dude, let's go grab some snacks!" Braig told Lea as you all stood to leave. "We got to go wash the the theater nerds out of our system with pure sugar!" Lea laughed, and it was very musical. You tried not to fawn over it.

"That makes about half as much sense as that play," Lea told his friend. Braig shoved him without thinking and the redhead bumped into you. His warm skin brought flashes of the night before into your head and you couldn't repress your blush. You tried to disguise it by looking at the heated lights above. You weren't so sure that Isa was buying it. Lea noticed, and slapped Isa's back.

"Whaddaya say? Snacks? Drinks? I'll buy!" He said. Isa shook his head.

"I'm afraid we have some studying to do." He looked to you.

"I wouldn't mind," you say, "I think you're pretty far ahead in your classes." You realized how suspicious you sounded and followed with: "You boys deserve some fun. You should go out and relax for a change." You were ducking out to protect your secret, which only made you feel more guilty.

"Nonesense!" Braig hollered. "We're all friends here. Let's all go out and have some fun!"

"No, really," you insisted, "I ought to get back home and study." Lea wasn't looking at you, but you could tell he was paying attention to what you said.

"Pfft. _As if_. You're just as nerdy as your BF here. Quit makin' excuses and let's get going." He shoved you all out of the door, leaving no room for argument. Then, once you were all outside in the cold air, Braig walked ahead of your group. "Yo, Isa! Where's your ride?" He wiggled something in his fingers-the keys to Isa's Impala.

"Damn you, thief!" Isa muttered, patting the vest pocket where his keys should've been. He looked at you then Lea. "I'll be back. Watch her." He dashed after the dark-haired man, a weary glance lingering around you and the redhead. You watched them disappear into the blackened parking lot. The slowly blinking lamp that spotlighted you and Lea seemed to burn into your head and shoulders. As you glanced at your companion, a great frustration built, then burst.

"So, you knew who I was all along, didn't you?" You accused. Lea shrugged.

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does! You knowingly betrayed your best friend!"

"I could say the same about you." You had no comeback to that. "Look, I don't want to hurt Isa, and I'm sure that you don't either. But what are you going to do?"

"Huh?"

"I'll leave the decision to you. You can tell Isa, if you think it's right. Or we can keep this between us."

You didn't understand. He was giving you the choice to spill the beans to Isa? _And _acting like last night was nothing?! What the hell?!

"So that's it, then?" Your mouth started running before your thoughts caught up with it. "You think that last night was a just a mistake? You-_we_ betrayed Isa for a one-night stand?"

"Well, what did you expect?" Lea's voice rose and his eyes seemed to sizzle with brilliant flames. "That you're problems with Isa would disappear when we spent that night on the beach? That this was something that you could take back once it happened?"

You turned away from Lea. This wasn't what you'd expected at all. Then again, what _did _you get think would happen? Maybe it's as simple as this: you _didn't_ think. You just acted on drunken emotions and frustrations.

"Why me?" You asked. "Why did you choose me?"

Lea's hand had risen to scratch his head, but he threw it down in frustration. "I don't know."

"You're lying."

"You think after one night, you know me?"

"No. But you knew who I was before last night-_before_ the library, and yet you still slept with me. Why would you choose _me_?" Lea thought about it for long time, staring into the distance where Isa had vanished. You didn't think he'd answer at first.

"Because you're different." His voice was barely audible and you strained your ears to listen. "You may not remember, but I still do. That night when you helped me up from the gutter…."

You remembered where you'd seen him. When you'd first started dating Isa at the end of high school, a boy your age had been lying in the street. He drank from a bag until his eyes started to cross. You wouldn't have given him a second glance, but then you saw another figure sprawled beside him, you felt drawn to his side. It was dark, so you couldn't really see his face, but the blood on his cheeks and knuckles shined brightly in what moonlight was left. You panicked and reached down to help him. He lazily shrugged you off. You saw the man beside him was knocked out, liquid dripping from his temple. He was still breathing.

"What happened?" You asked the conscious one. He laughed emptily and you thought you recognized the voice from one of your classes.

"Guy tried tuh pun'h meh..."

"It was you?" You muttered helplessly.  
>"Didn't think Isa hung out with such shady characters, did you?" Lea muttered. He looked so different to you now-and not just because you could now see his features in the light. He was taller, stronger, prouder, lighter. You almost didn't believe that he was the same boy you saw that night.<p>

"Look, it's not like I'm in love with you or anything, so don't get the wrong idea. This isn't some teenage fantasy I was hoping to live out."

"Then...what was it?"

Lea swooped in closer and your heart made a violent thud as his body heat started threading through your coat. "Because I wanted to know what Isa has." He backed off just as Isa turned the corner in his car. He parked before the both of you, stepping out of the vehicle.

"I hope you didn't get too cozy," he said to Lea. The redhead shrugged.

"I'm just getting to know the one who finally warmed your icy heart." He stepped into the back seat and Isa rounded the vehicle to open your door. Your mind was swimming endlessly and you could do nothing more than lead you numb body to its next place.

**... ... ... ... **

**Chapter three! :D **


	4. Part 4

When you open up a textbook, your mind starts to cloud and wander. The month after your scandal with Lea, this only became worse. You still did well in your classes, getting a B+ to an A- average, but you knew that you could do better. The guilt from your actions still hung over your head and it made your scholastic performance fall short of "great". Not only did you worry about Isa, though: you worried about your past with Lea. You still saw him around campus occasionally and he'd give you a smile and a nod like nothing was wrong. It was weird to pretend that nothing happened, and made your heart only grow heavier with the truth.

Isa only got worse, too. Not the "bad" kind of worse, but the good kind. He was kinder to you, though still showed impatience and urgency when he needed you to retrieve his lost textbooks. He did also stop inviting you to hang out whenever Lea showed up to the dorm, instead offering to take you out on real dates as far from the campus as you both could afford. In a weird way, your rebellion helped your relationship…at least on the outside.

A knock came on your door one night, making your head rise from your covers. It was Saturday, but you weren't expecting anyone. You'd already updated Kairi on your drama, but she didn't seem to have anything to say. She knew that this was _your_ mess, and that you had to take care of it without anyone's help or guidance. Maybe she wanted to scold you? Or maybe she'd come to offer something more than a sympathetic pat on the back?

You got up from your bed. Maybe it was Larxene? She hadn't returned from class yet, and it was possible that she'd gone to her party and left her dorm keys again. It didn't happen often, but _did_ usually occur at this time-which you exhaustedly reflected was 12:13am. Sighing, you touched the doorknob.

Wait! What if it was Isa? It'd been some time since he'd come to you for a late-night visit. He was good at telling when you both needed to release some of your hormonal frustrations and tried to coordinate them to follow a strict schedule. You checked the calendar beside the door; no little hearts marked this date. Maybe it was someone else.

The knocks persisted and finally, you just threw open the door.

"Braig?" You muttered, rubbing your eye to ensure you were seeing the man right.

"Hey, sweetheart!" He greeted. He was far too perky for this late of an evening.

"What do you want?" You hadn't meant for it to sound so rude, but you were exhausted.

"I just wanted to run something past ya. It's been on my mind for a while." He rubbed the skin around his eyepatch, not speaking for a long time. You wondered if you were supposed to say something.

"What is it?"

"Well...could you go check on Lea?"

"Lea?!" Your voice squeaked. Way to keep your secrets, you tell yourself.

"Yeah. Something's been eating at him and I think you know what it is."

He knew. You could see it in his golden eye. How, you didn't know. But he could see through your facade so clearly for being a one-eyed crook.

"Maybe," you played carefully. "Why do you think I should talk to him? Maybe it's his problem."

"Because you're the one who helped him before. I remember it as clearly as when I still had two eyes to see through. If you change your mind, he's at the library." He left at that. Apparently, he had nothing more to say. You had to give it some thought, but suddenly you recalled seeing the long ponytailed man in your past: he was the one who Lea had fought with the night he drank himself deep into the gutter. They must've gotten over it, as they were the best of friends now. Still….it was strange that he knew and didn't say anything until that point.

You tried to ignore the thoughts of the past as you laid in bed again, but you couldn't return to sleep. You felt an urge to go visit the library; it may still be open if Lea is there. No; let's not go, you said to yourself. Let me sleep. Let me stay away from sin from now on. These thoughts repeated in your mind throughout the night, making a rhythmic melody to bury your curiosity and lull you back to slumber.

Your door was prodded upon again. In frustration, you hopped up and dashed to it. You'd tell Braig to go away this time, and to never disturb you at this hour again. You didn't care whose friend he was. The wood was thrown open and connected with your big toe. As you cursed, a voice above you laughed.

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Lea asked. You hissed and gasped at the same time, creating a strange noise from your teeth. Lea chuckled again.

"What are you doing here?" You asked. Lea's voice quieted, but he still held a soft grin.

"Braig said you needed to talk. Said it was important." He examined your growing scowl. "Maybe he was mistaken."

"Damn him," you hissed. Braig knew you'd resist seeking out the boy, so he sent Lea to you instead! How could he?

"I can leave, if you want," Lea said, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. You nodded.

"That may be for the best." It would've been better to stay away from him and he from you. You shared too deep a bond with that one person you and Lea valued most.

"Yeah." He started to go, but stopped. "Want me to take a look at that?" He gestured to your foot, which noticeably in the dim light of full moon.

"It's fine. Happens all of the time." Actually, it hurt quite a bit. You wondered if you had broken it.

"Let me get some ice from downstairs at least." He was jogging off before you could decline. You shut the door behind and and went to sit by your desk nearby. As you waited for Lea's return, you considered pretending you weren't there, or at least ignore the knock he'd bring. However, when he arrived, he only knocked once before opening the door himself. You wanted to comment on how arrogant it was to think he could just enter a girl's room when he damn well pleased, but the promise of ice on your burning foot made you hold your tongue.

He gently held your ankle and applied a cloth of ice to your toes. You felt water drip off of you onto the floor.

"Sorry," he said, "guess that I'm too hot for this." You shook your head as he smirked. "Anyway, it doesn't look like you broke anything. It's just going to hurt for a while."

"How can you tell?" Your foot shivered a bit as Lea removed the ice cloth, shook it around, then placed it back on.

"My brothers were doctors. I learned a bit from them growing up." He stared down at your wound, his thumb absently stroking your heel. "Look, there's something I've been wantin' to tell you." He met your gaze. "That night when we...rolled around in the sand, to put it lightly,...I enjoyed every minute of it."

"You did?" You didn't think you should be surprised, but you were. In fact, you weren't sure what your reaction should've been, so you blushed, coughed, and smiled all at once. It was an odd mix, to say the least.

"Yeah. I figured tellin' ya would make it easier for you to tell Isa. A perv like me would deserve to be taken down by his best friend for that. And, I'm sure that Isa will take your side if you use me as the scapegoat." You frowned. "What? Why the face?"

"I can't use that," you insisted.

"Why not? I'm giving you an out! If you just tell Isa that it's all my fault, he'll believe you."

"I said I _can't _use that because I enjoyed it too. Anything I try to tell Isa otherwise would be a lie." You looked away, out your window into the courtyards of the campus. They were flushed with green grass and lilies that slowly bent over under the weight of the upcoming frost. "Honestly, it was the best night of my life."

"Really?" Lea rose, leaving the ice pack on your foot, and sat across from you on Larxene's bed. "I guess Isa's not that good in bed, eh?"

"What?! N-no, nothing like that! It's just…" Your face burned and you couldn't make eye contact with the boy. "You're so warm, first of all. Being with Isa's like taming a great pillar of ice rising in the moonlight. Being with you was like being devoured and entrapped in a forest fire, consuming every thought and kiss in a long and passionate gulp."

"Oh." Lea placed his elbows on his knees, leaning forward with a heavy look on his face. "So...what do we do now?"

"I don't know. Isa deserves to know, but I'm…so scared to tell him. What if he hates me after this? What if he never wants to see me again?" Lea watched you rant, those emerald crests flickering at your every exhale. When the quiet of the outside fell around you, Lea made an offer.

"I see this going two ways until you say something to him." He made you meet his eyes by placing his finger under your chin. "Either we avoid each other completely, taking this secret to our graves if we have to, or we can be friends."

"Friends?"  
>"Yeah. I mean, why not? We already know some pretty intimate parts of each other. Maybe it'd be easier to get past this if we become friends and nothing more."<p>

"What logic makes that plan work?" You asked. It didn't seem like spending _more_ time with each other would make this secret suddenly easier to bear.

"Well, the way I see it, acting like you've 'friend-zoned' me will keep Isa's suspicions at a distance. And who knows? It could give you a reason to hate me and give into telling Isa what happened." You giggled a bit; so being Lea's friend would make you hate him? "Hey, don't laugh! I'm serious! Isa's the only person who can stand being friends with all of this." He gestured to himself with an over-exaggerated hand-arch.  
>"What about Braig?"<p>

Lea's arrogance deflated a bit. "Yeah, I guess we're friends, too. But he doesn't count because he's even weirder than I am." You laughed again, already feeling the anchor in your chest become lighter. Lea smiled, too.

"Alright. We'll try being friends," you said. "But only because I think it really will derail Isa for a while. At least until I get the courage to tell the truth."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Lea rose from the bed, ruffling your hair before heading towards the door. "Later, kid. Get some sleep, and keep that ice on your foot until the swelling goes down."

"Got it." You watched the redhead leave. In all honesty, the majority of why you accepted Lea's offer to be friends was because you wanted to get to know him better. You needed to know why you gave into his charm so easily and what made you want to see him each and every day. He was fascinating, though you knew that it may not be the wisest idea to allow yourself to be so close to him. Really, you needed more drama like you needed a splinter in your toe…

Oh.


	5. Part 5

Isa checked his bag during class. It was Biology, one of your boyfriend's easiest classes, but you thought that you saw sweat start beading on his forehead. He hadn't realized it, but he'd left his textbook back at the dorm.

"You okay?" You whispered over to him, trying to avoid the attention of Professor Ansem as he lectured on.

"Do I look okay?" He snapped, digging down to the very bottom of his satchel. Prof. Ansem glanced your way, but did not pause his speech. You waited until his attention was off of you before pushing your book to Isa.

"Here," you mumbled. "Just take mine for now." He pulled it out from under your fingers.

"You take poor care of your books," he told you. A vein nearly popped right out of your forehead.

"I know it's kinda ripped and crappy, ok? But it's better than nothing." You had put it lightly; your textbook had only been in your care for a few months, but it was already leathered in duct tape. You didn't know what happened to it while it was hidden in your backpack, but you were starting to think that it was a monster or something gnawing on all of your stuff. Isa held the poor thing and gave you a low, "Thanks."

Class went on longer than usual, as Prof. Ansem had some important matters to discuss with all of his slacker students. When everyone was finally released, you had to fight against sprinting out of the room. Isa kept a cool composure at your side. When you were both free, you reached out for his hand. He accepted it without objection. A smile crept over you.

"Finally, you're out." Lea had been waiting outside of the classroom and gave you and Isa a big grin.

"What're you doing here?" Isa asked. He paused your united stride.

"I got bored. Is that so weird?" Lea pushed himself off of the wall he'd been leaning against.

"Aren't you supposed to be serving the library?"

"Sheesh. I come all this way to see my best friend and all I get greeted with is cold interrogation. Couldn't I have just come to see my best buddy, old pal?" Lea waved a hand around his face, giving Isa a mocking frown.

"I'm not buying it." Isa gave a rare smirk to his best friend; he'd gotten in on the game, too.

"Well, if you must know, they gave me the day off. After today, I only have two weeks left of this sentence from Hell."

"What do you mean?" You asked. Isa gave a small laugh and turned to you.

"Genius over here thought it'd be funny to decorate the librarian's office with toilet paper."

"He what?" You glanced at Lea. "I thought only children still did that sort of thing."

"Evidently, you're looking at one." You both shared a laugh at Lea's expense, and he chuckled with you after a few whines. Looking between him and your boyfriend, you felt oddly comfortable. Isa didn't seem to suspect anything of your gradual familiarity with his best friend, although you did note that he tended to hold you closer in front of the redhead.

"So, where are you guys headed?" Lea asked.

"I have a class now," Isa stated. "_ had her class cancelled, so she's going to study, right?" You nodded.

"I think I'll go to a quiet study area and get my Biology paper done. Professor Ansem hates me enough, I don't need to incur his wrath further by turning in a dud assignment."

"I'll walk you there." Isa squeezed your hand. "What are you doing, Lea?"

"Who knows? Maybe I'll just run around making mischief, as usual." He waved to you both as he walked on. "See ya, kids! Don't have too much fun!" You stared as he headed into the crowd, giggling at his prideful stride as he passed other students.

"He's quite a character, isn't he?" Isa stated. He was watching him too with a face you'd never seen him make. It was stern, contemplative, yet a bit warm, too. You couldn't read what it meant.

"He is."

Isa snapped out of it and stared down at you. His eyes softened and he smiled gently.

"Shall we?" He pulled you towards the study hall. You felt your heart start to burn with joy and the underlying feeling of guilt. It got harder and harder for you to tell him the truth; you didn't want to lose this smile. It'd already disappeared once...why should it have to happen again?

Your studies were going poorly again. You were fantasizing about Isa's smile, so pure and innocent when he let it slip out. It was one of the things that made you first fall in love with him. But! You needed to focus! You hurriedly turned your attention to the laptop on the desk before you. Clenching a fist in front over your keyboard, you made up a new mantra: "I'll get this done! I'll beat this paper! I'll get this done!" You turned up the volume of your power song until you were borderline deaf. Your fingers prepared themselves over the keys, feeling more pumped and alive than ever before!

"So." The voice made you nearly topple out of your seat. You could hear it clear as day over your headphones. It's familiar, chesty tone could reach your ears through a stampede of elephants. You gave Lea a glare as he pulled up a chair and sat across from you. He was chewing on something loud and salty. Curses toppled out of your mouth.

"How did you and Isa even get together?" He resumed, ignoring your panic attack.

"You scared the hell out of me," you replied instead.

"You're avoiding my question." He let the last word drag out, just to annoy you.

"Why do you care?" You tried to go back to your work, but the moment was lost. Distraction was everywhere and all of it was stemming from the redhead before you.

"Hey, c'mon now. We agreed that we'd try to be friends, right? I'm just trying to get to know you is all."

You shut your laptop. "Do we really have to talk about it here?"

"Don't like being seen with me?"

"No. I just…." You could see other students beginning to stare at Lea as his unrestrained munching spread throughout the room. "Think it'd be easier to talk somewhere that we're allowed to talk." You were waiting for a teacher to approach you two, but you seemed to be in the clear for a moment.

"Good point. C'mon. I've got somewhere that we can go." Lea stood, grabbing your wrist and laptop from the desk. You barely had enough time to snatch your backpack before being dragged out of the study hall.

"This. This is where you wanted us to go." Your sarcasm weighed heavily in your voice. Lea had led you to the top floor of the library where a door labelled "Roof Access" leaned dubiously to the right. You had never seen this door before, but it was very lazily constructed. Lea didn't seem to mind, or maybe he just didn't notice.

"It's the most private place I know," Lea argued. "Only two people in the building have keys to the roof: the librarian and the janitor." He held up a single silver key, dangling from a small metal loop. "The janitor doesn't come up here anymore." He unlocked the door and led you up the final flight of stairs to the outside. The view took your breath away.

To one side were the campus grounds, which were beautiful, but the view in the opposite direction was stunning and marvelous. The ocean shimmered rebelliously against the afternoon sunlight. The beach had some people meandering about, but was mostly occupied by dozens of other organisms and splashes of salt water. Above, the sun hummed merrily and spread its gift over your cheeks. You closed your eyes and breathed it in. It'd been a while since you'd really had the chance to enjoy the last rays of beach-style fall. Within the week it'd turn to winter and the lovely weather would be out of your reach for another year.

"You flush so easily," Lea said beside you. You opened your eyes and touched your cheeks.

"I do?"

"Yeah. You do whether it's in the sun or when someone embaresses you." He was trying to joke, but you saw flashes of sincerity in his expression.

Chain-linked fences lined the edges of the ledge. Lea approached them and slipped his fingers through the holes. He watched the waves drowsily ripple against the horizon and his wasn't really with you for a moment. You gazed with him for a moment, but eventually your eyes were drawn to the sky. You imagined all of the stars and planets hiding behind the big blue and tested yourself on their probable locations. You didn't need the evening to tell you if you were correct; you knew each area by heart.

"You gonna answer my question now?" Lea inquired. His stare fell to you. Your tore your eyes from your interstellar friends.

"Isa and I?" You recalled. Lea nodded. "We met in our junior year of high school. We shared some classes together, but didn't really talk until the summer before we became seniors. I was heading home one night from a friend's and was scared out of my mind. Girls were known to get abducted when they were wandering alone that late. Isa had been waiting for someone outside of the school-which was kinda odd, because it was closed until the fall….

"Anyway, he caught me walking by myself and offered to escort me home. He didn't mind leaving his friend behind, so I let him come with me. We got to talking and, after a few weeks, he asked me out. We've been dating since."

"Ah, I remember that night," Lea mused, nodding knowingly.

"What?"

"I had tried to convince Isa to sneak into the school with me to sit on the roof. We must've done it a dozen times before, but he decided not to come this time. I guess it was destiny, eh?"

"You were the friend he was waiting for?" Isa hadn't told you that before.

"Yep! I remember coming back out and realizing that he'd left. We got into a big fight about it afterwards, because I got caught by the night patrol. Isa was supposed to have my back and let me know if the coast was clear, but he said that more important things came up." He grinned at you. "Guess he had a point, for once."

"Honestly, I don't know how Isa came out as good as he is now." You shook your head in dismay.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He didn't sound angry; just curious.

"You sound like you were such a rebel! I don't know how Isa retained his innocence around you." A thought popped into your head. "Speaking of which, how did you meet him?"

"Oh, that's easy." Lea straightened up. "We grew up together. We were brought up in the same orphanage for years before we were adopted to different families. We were extremely lucky, though, and lived only a few miles from each other, so nothing really changed." You'd known that Isa was adopted, and he'd vaguely described Lea's similar situation to you. Nonetheless, you had no idea how far back this link went between the two. You wonder why Isa hadn't talked to you about it like this before.

"Sounds like it was destiny," you said to Lea. His smirk grew wider.

"What can I say? Fate doesn't want he and I to be separated. We're meant to be best friends forever!" He curled his fist over his chest. You avoided bringing up the fact that you'd both betrayed Isa by spending the night together, though the thought did ring attentively in the air between you.

A bell rang right behind you, making you jump and nearly trip over your own feet. Lea helped steady you, resting a hand on the lower part of your back. He let out a long laugh.

"Relax! The bell tower's up here, remember?" He gestured to the tower that held the Roof Access door, which had a hollow arc that reached far above you. In the middle of it, a brilliant golden bell swayed excitedly and released a loud, musical melody. You checked your phone for the time, realizing that Isa would be out of class and looking for you.

"We'd better head back," you told Lea once the heavenly signal subsided. He bobbed his head once.

"We'll have to do this again," he said. You smiled.

"I'd really like that." And you meant it. You wanted to get to know more about Lea and Isa both, and felt that your new friend would give you the opportunity to fill in the blanks about your still-mysterious boyfriend. As you returned to real life, you wondered what kind of future you'd have with each boy….


	6. Part 6

Isa helped you out of his car, leading you to the sushi restaurant. You had a deep love for sushi and Isa felt it would be the best way to spend your next date night. The blue-haired boy helped you into a seat at the bar and plopped down beside you. His elbow brushed yours, making your heart feel immense joy. You couldn't have asked for a better way to spend your time with the man you love.

It took some time for the restaurant to get you your orders. You laughed and talked and relaxed-something that you both had been needing with your busy schedule. You wished that the night wouldn't end. When you had finished dinner, Isa took you around downtown, waiting patiently while you gazed into all of the store windows and chatted with the locals. He had a small smile as you danced around the area, probably making a fool out of yourself, but not caring in the least.

"Don't you think we're done about now?" He asked after an hour or two.

"Do we have to go back?" You asked, gripping his wrists. "Let's just live out here."

"Live? In the streets?" He gave you a raise of his brow, looking genuinely confused. You giggled and started stroking the arch.

"It's a lot calmer here. More pleasent. Less troubles. It's perfect."

Isa shook his head. "Now I _know_ you must be joking. This place is always busy. Only the shopkeepers are kind, and if you go further into the alleys, you'll see enough trouble to turn you into a saint."

"You have to ruin everything," you joked, moving your fingers to the boy's lovely cheekbones. "It's still better than the campus."

"You really hate that place, don't you?"

"Sometimes. Not always. It just causes so much stress in you and in me and our friends… It's awful."

"But it's necessary for our future," Isa reminded you. You sighed and Isa took his turn to stroke your cheek. It made you happy that he was willing to show you affection outside of the grounds-he could loosen up when he was away from the madness. You snuggled into his palm, smiling brightly. "In all seriousness, we need to get going."

"Alright," you relented. Then, something caught your eye...and ears. Isa rolled his eyes at the noise, dropping all affection towards you.

"Who on this earth would wander around drunk?" You both turned to the person hollering in front of an old, beaten bar. The woman was bending over, laughing in between her words. She glanced up at you.

"Hey!" Larxene called over. She instantly regained composure-or at least tried. Her sway was overly-exaggerated and, as she approached you, you could smell the alcohol on her breath. "I didden know you was hurr?" She tried to hug you, but it was more like she threw herself into your chest. You tried not to topple over into the ground. Isa was skilled enough to catch you first.

"The Harlot is here, of course." He muttered. Larxene gave you a small wink as she peeked out from your shoulder.

"Urr so mean…." She hissed, struggling to stand back up. "I'm gonna go back teh my real frenz." She meandered back to the bar, giving you a slur of goodbyes (or what you assumed were goodbyes). The slowly fizzing neon lights finally caught your attention. You stared up in fascination as you read the words aloud:

"'Lucky XIII?'" The numerals gave you a feeling of emptiness, like your heart had suddenly disappeared.

"I don't ever want you to follow that harlot in there," Isa declared. He took your hand in his, pulling you into the opposite direction of the lights. You stared at it from over your shoulder, oddly drawn to the place.

"What is that place?"

"Nothing but trouble. Don't go there. You could end up drunk or…."

"Or what?"

Isa refused to discuss the subject after that. He forcibly escorted you to the car and drove you back to campus. The closer you got to the dorms, the more tense and cold he grew. Your heart shed a few tears inside; the moment was lost and the night of magic and romance was over.

... ... ... ... ...

Isa walked you to your room, remaining quiet for most of the trip. You didn't know what to say or do now, as any subject you tried to bring up was flattened by a one-word utterance. When you reached your door, you turned to Isa.

"Goodnight," you mumbled meekly. He gave a delayed nod; he almost missed what you said.

"Night." He started to walk off, lost in thought. That lovely friend, Guilt, started rising up your body. You knew that the situation didn't call for the memory of your betrayal, but you couldn't control when it popped up. You had to do something to get rid of it.

"Hey," you called. Isa stopped and looked at you over his shoulder. "Thank you for tonight. I know you don't care for sushi."

"I despise it," he said with a chuckle. "But _you_ like it." Guilt tried to swoop over your joy and consume it, but your glee was able to win by a slim margin. He was so kind and thoughtful when he wanted to be.

"Thank you," you whispered again. Isa's eyes changed, his focus entirely on you for a few minutes. Then, he strode your way and drew in your lips. His kiss was so fierce that the back of your head hit the door. You paid little attention to the noise. Isa breath was warm, smelling of sweet peppermint with a hint of vegetable tempura. Though you didn't see it, he twisted the knob on your door and pushed you into your room. You vaguely heard the door shut behind him as he steered you towards your bed.

"W-wait," you pulled back, gazing into the boy's glowing yellow eyes. "Larxene…"

"She won't be back for some time, I'm certain." Isa pressed his lips over yours again, leaning you back against the mattress. It creaked under your combined weight. You took a chance to squint at your calendar as Isa's lips moved to your temple and ear; you were fairly certain that it wasn't a tiny heart day….

Isa's chilling fingers slipped under your shirt to brush your ribs and you were suddenly reminded of Lea's flaming hold. You gasped in surprise and Isa's lips grinned wickedly against you neck. Sir Guilt entered again: you can't think of Lea here and now. You had to keep him out of your mind. You were with _Isa. _Isa. Isa.

You tilted the man's head up to kiss it again, drowning yourself in his affections. This would rectify it, you thought. This will cleanse your sins. This will flush Lea out of your veins and thoughts. Isa is who you belong with. There is no one else.

"_I guess it was destiny, eh?"_


	7. Part 7

You brushed your hair out of your eyes. That morning had been rough; you'd firstly woken up to no Isa (who'd probably left you around 3 or 4am), then you'd bruised your elbow against the bathroom counter, and finally you'd made yourself and Kairi late to your class because your straightener broke and nearly set the toilet paper on fire.

You had to face it: karma was against you today.

"Seriously, you ok?" Kairi asked. Class had started, but she was showing you more concern than the notes on the board.

"No." You told her honestly.

"What's going on? This morning was...kinda strange, to say the least."

You sighed. "I...last night, Isa and I…." Kairi's eyes widened; she didn't need anymore details than that.

"Oh."

"Yeah." Kairi glanced at the board for a moment.

"So...it was bad?"

"No, no! Of course not. It's always been great! I just…." You placed your head on the desk, a loud thunk echoing through the room. Everyone paused to stare at you, but resumed within a single heartbeat. Kairi waited for a while before speaking to you again.

"So what's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that this monster of guilt is starting to eat at me. I thought that being with Isa like we used to would make everything okay, which in hindsight was really stupid. But it didn't change anything….I think it just made everything worse. I _feel_ worse…." Your choke was muffled against the hardwood. "I'm starting to hate myself."

"Hey," Kairi touched your back and rubbed it. It reminded you of when you were kids and you'd scrape your knee or elbow. She'd comfort you like this while you cried. "It'll be alright. You can still make things right." You didn't reply. You just wanted this class to be over so you could go back to bed….

... ... ... ... ...

And never come out. You didn't want to leave. Your sheets, having been replaced with a pair of Larxene's clean ones, smelled of wildflowers. It made your body relax a bit. Your pillow seemed extra fluffy and inviting. The covers still held Isa's scent, so you tossed them to the edge of your bed without a moment's hesitation. The sheets provided comfort, but little warmth. You accepted it as a small form of punishment for your actions.

A small knock came at your door. You knew that it couldn't be Isa, as he had a class project off-campus that'd take him all day to complete. You figured it was Kairi again. She'd promised that she would drop by to bring you some Ben & Jerry's ice cream. She wanted to help you feel better, even though you could see in her eyes that there was no one to blame for your misery but yourself.

The knock came again. You didn't answer it. If it was Kairi, you didn't want to see that look. You knew it was deserved, but it only fed the beast eating away at your heart. You pulled the sheets further over your head.

"Sheesh, you don't know how to lock your door, do you?"

You cringed under the fabric. Lea had found you yet again.

"You in there?" A finger tapped your head. You whined.

"Go away…." Lea lifted a corner of the sheet and took a peek at you with a brilliant green eye. You yanked it back around your face and turned over. A sigh came from the outside and the entire bedding was yanked off of you. The cold at last had full access to your skin and started biting mercilessly at your legs and arms. You only had a pair of workout shorts and a thin-sleeved polo to protect you now.

"Now, you can't stay in bed all day," Lea told you as he stared down at your form. You felt oddly exposed and drew as much of yourself as you could into your chest. You finally looked at the boy only to see a pint of chocolate-chip cookie dough ice cream-Ben & Jerry's-being held out to you. You met his eyes, your mouth hanging open like a dummy.

"Kairi," was the only explanation he offered. You slowly took the carton from Lea's hands.

"This is my favorite flavor," you muttered as you lifted off the lid. "How did you…?" A spoon was in front of you next.

"Kairi," he repeated. He sat himself on the bed beside you. "You wanna talk about it?"

"Seems like Kairi said plenty to you." Your venom nearly ruined your taste for the treat, but two large spoonfuls filled your mouth with so much sugar that it didn't matter.

"She gave me the basics. Didn't say too much, though, because she thought that you should tell me yourself."

You frowned at your cookie dough. "Why did she go to you?"

"I dunno, really. I think it's because I'm the source of your problem? Or something like that."

You sat up slightly in your bed. Lea tilted his head to catch your eyes, but you couldn't meet them. For a reason unknown to you, you felt like you'd done him wrong in some way.

"Hey," he cooed. "What's up?"

Tears were leaking out of your eyes. "I just don't...feel well." Lea shifted onto your bed so that his legs were sprawled out next to yours. You drew into yourself, wrapping your arms around your bare legs.

"If it would help, do you want me to tell him?" You wondered if Lea was joking again, but his face was serious. "Look, I don't like keeping secrets from my best friend, either. I'll take the heat."

"No." You shook your head violently. "I won't make you do that."

"You didn't know who I was, but I knew you. This is my fault."

"No. Isa should hear it from me." Your voice caught in your throat. "It's just...so hard….after all we've been through and…. I really don't want to hurt him. I don't want…."

Lea reached around your shoulders and pulled you into his chest. Even sitting down, he was a head taller than you were. He rested his cheek on top of your head. His hands were warm against your skin.

"It's alright." He seemed to be waiting for something. As you contemplated whether you should pull away from him or stay, a dam broke inside. Your tears couldn't get out fast enough and created a puddle against Lea's denim vest. You sunk further into the human furnace while he rubbed your shoulder and buried his lips into your hair. He said nothing and just let you cry into him for half an hour or so.

When you'd exhausted yourself, he sat still for a few minutes longer. Then, he tilted your head up so he could examine your expression. You were certain that your face was blotchy and puffy, but couldn't hide it now.

"Feel better?"

You thought about it. You _did_ actually feel a little less upset. The weight in your heart had lifted ever so slightly as well.

Lea smiled. "I can see it in your eyes." He brought his lips to your forehead, almost instinctively. "You'll be alright."

You wanted to relax with him forever. He made Isa and your troubles feel far away...but that, of course, had to be short lived. Larxene came in and, upon seeing you and Lea on the bed, she let out a loud, "Oh!"

"Two in twenty-four, eh?" She said. You flushed as Lea gave her a confused look.

"This isn't what you think!" You insisted, pushing away from Lea. Larxene giggled.

"No need to explain, sweetheart. Lips. Sealed." She made a zipping motion over her mouth, winking, then headed into the bathroom. Lea tried to find your gaze, but you were trying to cover yourself with the covers. Isa's scent hit you both and Lea rose.

"Guess I'll head out." He stared down at you. "Do you need anything else?"

You opened your mouth, but instead shook your head.

"'Kay. I'll see you later then." He went to the door and you followed. Hiding your practically bare half behind the safety of the dark wood, you felt something inside of your throat rise. Lea gave you a nod, standing in the empty hall. "Call me if you need anything. You have my number, right?"

Instead of answering correctly, your mouth opened and vomited: "I slept with him."

Lea held very still, his expression frozen solid. You couldn't read what he was thinking as you shrank into yourself. What the hell happened there? Why did you feel like you had to tell him _that_ of all things?

Lea let out a harsh laugh. He sounded like he had to force it out of his lungs. "Well, that's not something that you hear a girl say everyday." You wanted to cry again. You were trying to be serious and he was acting like it was nothing.

"Forget I said it," you muttered, shutting the door. You leaned against it with your shoulderblades. The wood pressed back; Lea's weight was on it, too. You remained in that spot as long as he did. It felt good to know that someone else was on the other side, someone who knew what you were going through. You heard his voice from it, but it was too muffled to understand. It was second best to having him in your bed, hugging you as you cried. His kiss still seared the skin above your temples.

When the door lightened up, you knew he was gone and the world felt cold again.


	8. Part 8

Isa wrapped an arm around your shoulder, but all you could think of was Lea. Your boyfriend noticed your tension and asked you what was up.

"Just tired," you insisted. It was true; you hadn't slept in days and even looked the part. He stroked your cheek with his finger, chilling you to the bone.

"Need anything from me?" He asked. You shook your head.

"I'll get some sleep later tonight." You tried to wave off your exhaustion, but it was evident in every step you took. The boy steered you to his dorm room, where both Braig and Lea were braying like a couple of horses. You attempted not to seem too obvious about your discomfort between Lea and Isa, but it was hard. To disguise your true feelings, you leaned into Isa, tucking your shoulder under his armpit. He held you close, but the other boys didn't seem to notice anything.

"So, what do you think, then?" Braig asked the redhead. He made it a point to only look at you when you spoke, so as to avoid suspicion.

"About what?" Isa asked.

"Going double with Larxene and one of her friends." You looked to Lea. He pretended to think about it.

"I dunno, man," the boy replied. "Both are kinda crazy."

"That's just the way I like them." Braig wagged his eyebrows. "C'mon, man, I need a wingman or the deal's off!"

"It'd be good for you," Isa told his best friend. "You haven't dated anyone solidly since high school. Perhaps a woman is what you need to tame your wild behavior."

"Give me more credit than that!" Lea waved his hands above his head. "I'm not a total delinquent...at least not during the weekdays. Who says that I need a woman to be a better person?"

"It'd just be good to see you get laid," Braig stated.

"Braig," Isa muttered. He didn't look amused. "That's not the reason you try to be with someone."

"What better purpose is there?"

"For companionship," Isa sternly said. "For trust, for happiness. Like what I have with _." He looked to you, but you couldn't meet his gaze. You stared at his forehead instead-something Larxene taught you to do when you needed to hide your true intentions-and smiled.

"Yes," you whispered. Isa held you even closer and turned back to his friend.

"I'd like to see you this happy, Lea, like we are. You may have your faults, but you still deserve to be with someone that can look past those and bring joy to your life. You won't have luck with the Harlot, I'm certain, but you could always try the friend. It may lead you somewhere good."

Then, it was over. Lea finally looked at you, his eyes connecting with yours and speaking volumes that words couldn't. Every secret you shared was projected through the space between and around you. You saw the truth in his eyes and wondered if he was seeing something in yours that made everything so obvious. Everyone saw, everyone knew.

When he turned away from that moment that lasted only as long as a hummingbird's wink, Lea gave Braig a smile.

"Thanks, but you I'll have to say no this time. I'm not really into 'harlots', anyway."

The room had gone cold and you saw even Lea shiver a bit. Braig brought up other subjects, but it did nothing to eliminate the atmosphere. Isa loosened his hold a little bit each second before finally moving his arm off of you. He didn't look at you or speak with you for the next half hour you were there (although to you, it felt like an eternity). When it was at last time for you to leave, it refused to walk you back to your dorm. His reasoning was that he needed to catch up on some homework before the next morning. He said that you could take care of yourself.

Lea didn't rise to escort you, either. Even if your facade had been shattered, he still didn't want to add gasoline to the fire. You walked alone for a while, avoiding the path home and taking a detour to a fountain outside of the library. You just sat there, not crying or shaking or trying to breathe. You felt emptiness wash over you. It was over between Isa and you-you were certain. It wasn't what you wanted, but the truth had come out and you didn't see any other outcome. Were you sad? Yes. Did you feel like slitting your wrists to make up for the harm you've caused Isa? Absolutely. Did you regret spending that one night with Lea?

… That one was harder to answer.

Someone sat beside you, their heat flooding from their fall jacket to yours. You gave him a glance, needing to look no further than his kneecap to know who he was.

"I didn't want to leave you alone." Lea muttered. You felt his stare on your face. He was looking for tears that weren't falling on the outside. He doesn't offer anymore words, apparently waiting for you. As you remained silent, he leaned back against the fountain's edge, probably staining the bottom of his coat with dirty water. He kept his hands in his pockets and made it a challenge to balance on his tailbone.

"So," he finally muttered," what do we do now?"


	9. Part 9

The next few weeks, you saw little of Isa. He either didn't know what to say to you or just didn't want to talk to you, period. It made your misery grow more and more each day. You had tried talking to him, at first, but he wouldn't listen to a word you said. So, you stopped trying. You sat by him in class without uttering a word. He seemed more content with that than anything else...as content as an angry boyfriend could be.

He also didn't have anything to do with Lea, as you were told. The redhead and you paired up often to work off each other's depression, which helped you a little. You'd become closer friends in some ways, but what loyalty to Isa remained inside of you kept you from letting your heart become too familiar with him. Lea seemed to understand, though that didn't stop the occasional gleam of dismay from entering his expression.

"Hey," he said to you one night. You were both leaving the library-you from a distracted study session and him from his final evening of "community service". "How about we go do something?" You looked up at him with bleary eyes.

"I don't know," you mumbled. "I haven't slept well. Maybe I should just go back to my room."

"C'mon. We ought to do _something _to celebrate my freedom." He nudged you to the doors outside, where the chilly breeze angrily struck your face. Lea insisted that you head into town with him for a few moments, promising to have you back on campus before midnight. You accepted, if for no other reason than to try and avoid the thoughts that pestered you in the emptiness of your bedroom.

... ... ... ...

Lea made you sit down and close your eyes on the library's roof. Then, when you were allowed to open them, a bar of blue ice cream was held out before you. Lea insisted that you try a bite. You did, and gave him a confused look as the contrasting sensations smothered your tastebuds.

"Don't even say it," he said. "Just enjoy the flavor." You really wanted to describe it aloud, as if it'd help you make sense of the delicious concoction, but Lea made you promise not to. He stated that everyone said that same thing when they ate the bars, and he'd gotten tired of the repetition. He just wanted to sit and revel in the sugar.

Staring up at the stars, you had an unrestrained curiosity appear that needed satisfaction.

"Why did you look at me like that?" You asked. Lea took a bite of his second bar-he had a bag full of them at his feet.

"Like what?"

"You know what I mean." You hated to sound impatient or angry with him, but you didn't want to deal with his dodges tonight.

"I'll tell you if you answer my question first."

"Fine. What is it?"

"Why did you help me that night?" You tilted your head in confusion. Which night? "You know which one."

It came to you then...the whole story….

... ... ... ...

The boy in the street had insisted that the person laying on the ground was aiming to punch him, so he'd acted in self defense. He gave you a glare as he looked up.

"What're yeh doin' hurr?" He slurred. "Ain't you 'posed to be with yur boyfriend?"

"I...I just…" You didn't deal with drunk people that often, so you didn't know what to say.

Suddenly, a car started heading down the street. You could tell at that distance that it was a cop car, but the boy in the gutter didn't seem to notice or care. A minor drinking alcohol in the street could've meant big trouble. In a flash, you were struggling to pull the boy to his feet and hide him in the alley behind you. You placed his slumping form behind a dumpster, out of sight from the officer driving by. The car stopped and you made the boy promise not to say anything. He huffed at you, too tired to say much at all. You hurried back out to the boy still sprawled and unconscious as the officer climbed out of his vehicle.

"What's the problem?" He asked.

"I found him like this," you said, gesturing to the shadowed being. He groaned at mention of him, finally coming to. "I think he needs medical attention right away." The officer pulled out a walkie and stepped away for a moment. The person beneath you kept making noises, but didn't fully comprehend what was going on. You patted his head-wet with what you were afraid was blood-and told him that everything would be ok.

"Dammit," he muttered under your touch. "Last time I mess with an orphan…."

"Huh?" You leaned closer to hear more, but the officer was coming back.

"An ambulance is on the way," he announced, crouching on the other side of the boy. "Son, can you tell me what happened?" You wished you could see the boy's expression, because you heard a strangled laugh escape his throat; he seemed to be awake now.

"I started a fight I couldn't finish," he mumbled. You glanced back at the alley as the officer examined the boy with a flashlight.

"You don't look too bad." The officer withdrew the light as you turned back around. "A little bruised and battered, but you'll be ok. Can you tell me who did this?"

"Nah. Don't worry about it. I started it."

"We can still make him responsible to paying your hospital bill, son. He needs to own up to the damage he caused."

The boy chuckled again. "_As if_. I'm not gonna make a guy like that pay for my asinine attitude. In fact, I should be givin' the guy a pat on the back."

The officer took your statement on the scene, then escorted the boy and the ambulance to the hospital. You insisted that you just lived around the block and would be alright to walk home on your own. When everyone was gone, you returned to the alley. The boy from the gutter was still slouched over. He seemed to have rested a while and acted more alert when you'd hidden him.

"We'd better get you home, too," you told him. "Where do you live?" His head lolled your way, his drooping eyes examining your frail form.

"Why'd you do that?"

You tried to raise him from the ground."Do what?"

"You covered my ass." He did his best to help you lift his body from the ground. "Why would you do that? You don't know me."

"I just...took a chance." The boy slumped over your shoulders, knocking you against the wall. "Oomph! You look like you need the help."

"I'm a delinquent," he said. "You don't even know that you can trust me. I could assault you, too."

"Wouldn't you have already?" You were able to balance yourselves at last. Now, the next challenge was going to be walking.

"I'm drunk. I can't even stand without you."

"Well, I think you're just someone that needs some help. Where do you live?"

"Um….." The boy looked around and his green eyes only reflected confusion.

"Never mind. No one else knows, but my parents are out of town this weekend. You can crash at my place tonight, then I'll take you home." You encouraged him to carry on with you, leading this total stranger to your empty house.

... ... ... ...

"You were gone the next morning," you continued in the present. "You didn't leave a note or say goodbye."

"I'm pretty sure that I would've overstayed my welcome," Lea said, picking up another ice cream bar.

"Not even a thank you….." You muttered. "That somehow seems to like you. Just another enigma that comes into people's lives, then disappears...only to show up years later and ruin everything." You were projecting your guilt onto Lea, which you knew in your heart wasn't right. This wasn't his fault: it was yours. Still, your pride wouldn't let you take back your words.

Lea glared into the sky. He was absorbing what you said and trying to turn them into something else. You had half a mind to offer some comfort (while still avoiding the apology), but then his lips moved: "I came to you that night to say thank you-on the beach I mean."

"You...what?"

"I felt pretty shitty for not coming to you sooner and thanking you for that night. After you helped me, I realized that I had a problem and decided to get some help. I mean, I still drink on occasion, but not like I used to. You made me want to control it better so I didn't drag trusting people like you into my troubles.

"After I got everything together, I tried coming to you at one point, but you and Isa had really hit it off. I felt like I'd be overstepping some boundaries if I tried to steal your attention from him. He really likes you, ya know."

You didn't want to dispute it, if for no other reason than you wanted to avoid the subject of Isa entirely.

"Why didn't you say anything in the library that day?" You asked instead. Lea chuckled.

"I was kinda pissed that you didn't recognize me. I mean, I knew you instantly-I'd been staying away from you since high school. I just thought that you'd know the face of the guy you rescued."

"I...I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I was being childish." Lea held out the last ice cream bar to you and you took it. "But when I saw you at the bonfire that night, I half-wondered if it was fate. You may have been drunk, but I figured it'd be as good a time as any to say something to you."

"Instead, though…." You trailed off.

"I promise that I had no intentions of doing that with you." He met your eyes, his face stony and serious. "I just wanted to get the guts to tell you 'thanks'. I never wanted things to go _that _far. I'm really sorry."

"Don't be," you said with a sigh. "It's not your fault. None of this would've happened if I hadn't felt so furious with Isa." Or if you really loved him, but that wasn't something you wanted to admit. Something kept you drawn to Isa. You couldn't let him go, and you didn't want him to let _you _go. You felt safe with Isa and knew that, if you ended up with him, everything would be scheduled accordingly to be the perfect life. He'd make sure of it...if you hadn't had lost shook your head. "Now you should answer my question."

"No no no no." Lea wagged a finger at you. "You didn't _answer_ mine. Why did you help me that night?"

You tried several times to give him a response, but couldn't find the right words. You paused to take a deep breath and found the stars. One of your favorite constellations, Orion, stood tall and proud. He gave you the clarity you'd hoped for. "I think it's because you looked like you _needed _help. Your entire body seemed to be begging you for someone to take you in and aid you…. I've felt like that before. I've been at a point where I needed to someone to pick me up off of the ground and rescue me." Lea stared at you for a few moments.

"That someone was Isa, wasn't it?"

You nodded. "Now, you'll answer my question, right? Why did you look at me like that?"

Lea relented. "Because of the look on _your_ face." You were taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"You had this look. It was like…. Well, let's just say that you didn't want seem to want me to go on that date."

Again? Had you really betrayed yourself again? You didn't even recall feeling jealous or strange about Lea going on a date with your roommate.

"No, no I didn't feel that way." You denied it. You didn't feel possessive over Lea.

"You did, whether you knew it or not."

"W-well, even if that _was_ true, then why did you say no to the date?"

Lea looked away. "I couldn't hurt you like that."

"That's absurd." You stood up, ready to walk away. "We're not dating or anything. Why did you feel you have to protect me? You should've said yes, so that he wouldn't have suspected anything."

"He would've found out either way," Lea argued, his defenses going up. "It's not like I meant for it to get out that way!"

"But it did! And now Isa thinks the worst of us!"

"Now? _Now _he thinks the worst of us?" Lea cackled sarcastically. "I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but he does have good reason to think that." You both pulled back; that remark whipped you in your hearts. Lea started itching the back of his head. "Sorry. That was uncalled for."

"No, you're right." You sat back down. The stars twinkled at you almost lovingly. They seemed to understand your distress and tried dancing to make you feel better. "I'm a terrible person."

"You're not terrible." Lea plopped down next to you. "_I'm _terrible."

"Let's just agree that we're both terrible."

He chuckled. "Fine. We're both terrible. But you know what?" He looked into your face, a wicked grin playing on his lips. "You've still never gotten drunk enough to beat anyone up. I'm still leading in that area."

You couldn't keep back your laugh. "I guess so. But the night's still early."

"You saying we should go drinkin'?"

"Why not? What do we have to lose?" You were ready to drown your sorrows. Larxene could always start feeding you her potions in the morning, if necessary. Lea's laugh travelled rooftops at that point.

"Only you're immortal soul. C'mon, I'll take you for some malt-shoppe sodas downtown." He opened the door back into the library and gave you a big smile. You returned it and accepted the gesture.


	10. Part 10

"Isa's out of town," you told Lea over an ice cream sundae. You were sharing just one-as neither of you had much cash at the moment-and Lea was eating his half with fierce enthusiasm. He glanced up at you and paused for just a second, waiting for you to go on. "One of his graduate classes is having a field trip out of town and he said he'll be gone for a week." You stared down at your spoon, now holding only liquid cream. "He didn't even say goodbye."

Lea hummed thoughtfully as he shoved another scoop in his mouth. "I think that'll be good for you guys. Maybe some time apart is what you need to figure things out."

"I suppose." You let the liquid slip back over the solid sundae. It dripped sadly back to its original spot. "I still wish he'd say _something_ to me. This silent treatment is killing my weak heart."

"You think you've got it bad." Lea gestured to your half of the treat and you nodded. He took it for himself, speaking through the chocolate and vanilla mix. "We've been best friends for years. I've _seen_ his silent treatments before, but none were so vicious as this one." You dropped your head onto the table, feeling something sticky settle into your skin.

"This is miserable. I wish he'd yell at me. Or SOMETHING."

Lea dropped the empty cup and put some cash on the table. You pulled your forehead off of the table to do the same. "Look, just take this opportunity to relax for a bit. Don't think about Isa's mood so much." He led you both out of the diner. The day was at that point of shifting from the afternoon to the evening, and the store's lights were starting to flare. The Lucky XIII was already up and running and you could hear shouts coming from inside.

"You ever been there before?" Lea asked you. You shook your head. "Good. Don't." He started walking down the street. You chased after him, your gaze still lingering on the neon sign.

"What's in there?"

"Nothin' good, kid."

You got to Lea's side, matching his pace. "Have you ever been there?"

"Let's talk about somethin' more interesting." He gestured to the beach. "Did you know that the last time I was there with someone-present company excluded-I nearly drowned?"

"Really?" You had been successfully distracted by the man, forgetting all about the club behind you. "What happened?"

"Well, Isa and I used to come here long before college. One night, we went walking along the beach to see the ocean. No matter how many times we'd seen it before, it was still beautiful. I was telling Isa about one of my adopted brothers falling at work and getting a head injury. For a while, we didn't think he was going to make it-although now the guy is on his way to getting a Nobel Peace Prize, the cocky bastard, but I digress…."

You sat on a bench over-looking a park on a hill. You got a clear view of the ocean from that spot.

"Isa was telling me the usual: it was stupid to worry as my family was full of doctors, only a fraction of the population dies from concussions, blah blah blah. Then, I thought I saw someone out in the ocean, drowning. I hurried out to find her, but I must've been high or something. Nothing was there but some driftwood. Anyway, a huge wave came over me, knocking me into the water. I tried to flail my way out of it, but that only seemed to make this worse. Isa swam out and saved my life."

"Wow," you breathed. "Isa never told me that."

"That's not all he did, though." He leaned back in the bench, moving his hands into his pockets. "I swallowed a lot of water in there, so Isa ended up taking me to the hospital, just in case. While I was there, he went out to visit my brother and their doctors. Did Isa ever tell you that he's good at making medical herbs?"

"He mentioned it."

"Well, he took something to my brother. It made him recover in half of the time it normally would've."

Your eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yep. He's a great guy, _." Lea gave you a sad smile. "You landed a good one."

You stared away from him. "Yeah, I did. But you're not so bad yourself." Lea laughed.

"What makes you say that? I'm definitely no Isa."

"Maybe not. But I _do_ remember Isa mentioning you once."

"You do?"

You smiled at the stars. "He didn't directly, but he told me one day about a friend that really helped him out. He's always wondered about who his real parents were, but never had the resources to find them. One day, a dear friend of his came over and threw a folder on his desk." You laughed, just as Isa had when he told you this story. "His friend had gone and _stolen_ his birth records, just so he could learn about his real parents. Isa was more than grateful to him, but…." You looked at Lea. He stared towards the ocean, smiling to himself.

"He refused to look at them," he finished. "Even after all of that hard work I put into getting those things for him. I can't even begin to tell you what it took to get those things back before the orphanage knew they were missing."

"He didn't want to get you in trouble," you insisted. "He cared about what happened to you."

"Yeah, I know. I still think that, of all people in the world, he deserved to know who his real parents were."

"Did you find your forms too?"

"No. I have no desire to see mine. They left me there, and as far as I'm concerned, it was the best thing to happen to me. Isa was the only one who really wanted to know where he came from."

"Did you look at his papers?"

"Of course I did."

"What? And you never told him?"

"No way. He decided that night that he didn't want to know about his parents that bad. He asked me to take that folder away and to promise to _never_ let him be involved with the crime. If he knew what was in that folder, I'd be in big trouble. We'd both probably end up in jail or worse."

"He wouldn't want to have any reason to turn you in," you concluded. "Then again, I don't think Isa would ever do that to his best friend."

"Maybe not before." Lea slouched further in his seat, resting his neck against the back of the bench. "But now, I've taken the best thing that ever happened to him."

"You didn't _take_ me-well, nevermind." You tilted your head up.

"What made you like the stars so much?" He asked, looking over at you.

"Isa." You answered. "He and I got into a fight one night and I ran off to hide in a park. I didn't want to go back to an angry boyfriend right away, but I ended up falling asleep in the grass. I woke up to the amazing night sky. It reminded me of when I was a kid and I would go hide under the stars whenever my parents had a big fight. It was comforting, but also kind of a poor memory because I'd always pray to escape to the planets and galaxies above. That night, there was no other place that I wanted to go to than those other worlds. I dreamed about it for hours and hours and hours….

"Isa found me later that night, totally out of breath. He'd been looking for me all night. We talked things over and shared a kiss under the stars. It was the perfect moment and made me realize that, although most of my memories under the stars were of times when I wished to leave my troubles, they were also like an estranged family to me. I wanted to get to know them better…in case I ever needed to escape again."

"Huh." He followed your gaze. "Sound like Isa has a pretty big influence over us."

"Definitely. He's strangely the best thing to ever happen to me." As the statement flowed, you got this feeling that you were wrong about that. You looked over at Lea and felt your heart grow warmer. "You're a pretty great guy, all things considered." He laughed.

"Um, thanks I guess?"

"I mean it." You turned your entire body towards him. "You've been nothing but kind to me since this thing started. I can't believe that I ended up with a friend like you after this."

"Thanks." He sat back up straight and noticed that you were shivering. You'd tried to hide it under your jacket, but being a girl, warmth was just impossible to obtain. "If I was wearing a jacket, I'd give it to you." You looked down at his puffy maroon vest, which would be perfect for the winter weather if it had sleeves.

"Thanks anyway," you told him, squeezing your arms tighter around your body. "I'll be alright." Lea shook his head.

"C'mere." He scooted closer to you, wrapping an arm around you. He pulled you into his chest and you felt like you'd just snuggled into the center of a space heater. Your mind told you to pull away, but your body declined. It was so wonderful to be held and the icing on the topping was when he slowly and uncertainly leaned his cheek on top of yours. You hadn't had someone be this affectionate to you in so long.

"We should probably get you somewhere warm," Lea muttered.

"Mmm," you agreed. However, neither of you moved for a long time, instead enjoying that moment for as long as you could stand the weather. Before God, the glimmering stars, and the endless blue sea, you took a moment to just relax.

... ... ... ...

He walked you to your dorm after midnight, and neither of you were surprised to see it was empty. Larxene probably wouldn't be back for another five hours or so. Lea faltered outside of your door for a few moments.

"Well, goodnight," he at last stated. He aimed to give you a quick pat on the head before he finally walked off. You waved and shut the door behind you. Drowsily, you pulled off your pants and made your way to your bed. It was incredibly frozen and empty. You saw a small heart on your calendar and got up just so you could tear it off. Stupid schedules. Stupid boyfriends. Stupid you.

Slipping back into your covers, you felt it get a bit warmer. Maybe everything would be alright. Things could change. They could get better. You'd live through this experience no matter how hard the journey. You just had to pick yourself up eventually. Lea did it, why couldn't you?

Someone knocked on your door. You hurried over to it, knowing his very tap at this point.

"Hey," he said softly. "What's up." He shifted really uncomfortably, which wasn't like him. "Can...Would you be okay if I stay? There would be no funny business or anything like that. I just don't want to leave yet."

You didn't even pause. "Sure."

He came into your room, still standing a distance from you. He seemed to relax a bit when you closed the door behind him. You didn't even care that he saw you in your underwear and a tee; he'd seen you in less. You went over to the bed and pulled the covers up to your shoulders, scooting over to make room for Lea. He only climbed on top of your sheets, trying to retain some respect for your boundaries. His arm draped over your side, creating a shield of warmth against the outside world. You burrowed into his chest, breathing in his sweet cinnamon scent. Everything else faded, all other sights, sounds, thoughts, and smells. It was just Lea now, holding you as though you'd slip into a dark sea while he slept. But you knew you wouldn't fall; not as long as he was there. Even if Isa and Kairi and the rest of the world left you, it wouldn't matter as long as the redhead could protect you in his strong, solid arms.


	11. Part 11

That morning, you woke up to find Lea had disappeared. Larxene instead was flopped over onto her bed, snoring loudly. A note was pressed into your pillow and it took your eyes a moment to regain the ability to read.

_Good morning. Thought I'd head out before your roommate got back. I'll find you later today. -Lea._

A little stick figure was drawn at the bottom with Lea's eccentric red hairdo. It smiled at you excitedly and you giggled to yourself. The pen he used was at your nightstand, and you took it to draw your own person beside his. Yours smiled too, and reached out a little hand to hold Lea's.

Your phone buzzed nearby. You saw an email notification from your program advisor; he needed to see you today. He had news, it stated. You quickly and quietly got dressed and headed out.

... ... ... ...

"Wait, really?" You stared at your counselor, your mouth reaching the floor.

"Yep," Mr. Xehanort said with a smile. You normally felt pretty untrusting of the devilish man's grin, but he held out the proof to you. "Congratulations, _." You took the folder from him, wetting the edges with your sweaty fingers.

"I can't believe it…." You gave the man a brilliant grin, shaking his hand. "Thank you, sir!" The old man laughed, stroking his pointed white goatee.

"You will accomplish great things. I look forward to seeing what your future holds."

You burst out of his office, running down the halls. There was someone you had to see.

... ... ... ...

Lea was in a welding room at that time. It took you forever to find him, as his film class was suddenly cancelled. When you at last located the redhead, he was just finishing something with a torch. You waited for him to notice you, bending over his knees as you begged for air.

Lea took a moment to see you, but he was quick to stop his work and make his way to you.

"What's up?" He asked. "You look like you ran through Hell."

"Gee, thanks," you gasped. Unable to say much more, you shoved the folder into Lea's chest. He wiped his dirty hands on his jeans and thumbed through the folder.

"What is this?"

"It's my acceptance letter to the Queen Mary University of London," you told him once you had the room in your lungs. "They have an Astronomy program I've been applying for, and I just found out that I was accepted." Lea's face lit up, just as yours had, and he reached out to give you a hug.

"That's amazing!" His arms wrapped over your waist, lifting you into the air for a quick spin. When he put you down, your light-headedness returned. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" You said. "I'm really excited! I've always wanted to travel. And, since the stars and other planets aren't open to visitors yet, England is just as good."

"How soon would you go?" He asked.

"I'd have to wait until after the next semester, since I've already registered and aid for my classes. But right after, they'll fly me out to attend their program."

"That's great, _. I'm really happy for you."

You thanked him again, but suddenly had a realization hit you. Leaving in another half a year or so meant that you'd be leaving behind your friends and family and Lea….

"Have you told Isa yet?" Lea's question brought you back to the present. Isa was still gone, but he had his phone.

"No," you said, the next realization wave hitting you. "I wanted to tell you first." You could've called Isa; it would've taken less time than it did to search for Lea, but for some reason never came to mind.

Lea smiled. It was proud, at first, then it was just a way to disguise his remorse. "You ought to call him. I'm sure that he'll be happy for you."

"Yeah." You withdrew from Lea's personal space, which you had made your 2nd home after spending so much time with him. He seemed to be speared in the heart as you pulled out your cell. "Wish me luck."

"Good luck." He returned to his project and you stepped out, your fingers hovering over Isa's name. You felt the temperature drop around you as you hit the call button.

... ... ... ...

Then, one day, something changed.

"Hey," Isa greeted as you opened the door to your dorm room. You jumped; you hadn't heard his voice in days, nor had you seen his face since his return.

"Hi," you mumbled. Isa met your eyes, disturbing you further. You kept that gaze as he pondered something for maybe 5 or 10 minutes.

"Ready?" He asked at last.

"What?" You looked around. "Ready for….?"

"It's date night." He held out his arm to you. You glanced down at your sweatpants and Breaking Benjamin t-shirt.

"Um…." You were very confused. Date night? An arm being held out to you like it used to be?

"I'll wait out here for you to get dressed. Then we'll go."

Outside, you were still confused. Isa had taken you to a nice restaurant; very public and loud. Isa was seated in a booth across from you. He ordered your favorite meal and drink. He offered to pay for your dessert if you had room for it. He asked about your day, your studies, your acceptance letter, your roommate and friends. You answered everything with careful hesitation. It was like any other date you'd gone on together, like nothing had happened between you a few weeks ago. Finally, over a bowl of a neapolitan ice cream, you placed your spoon on the table.

"Why are you doing this?" You asked. You couldn't handle the suspense anymore. You had to confront him.

"It's date night," Isa answered again.

"That's not what I meant."

Isa pushed through the melting sundae with his spoon. "I took some time to make an important decision. About us."

You tensed. _This _was what you'd been waiting for: an official breakup. The signs were all there: anger at your betrayal, taking you to a public place, buying you one last dinner. You took a deep breath, promising that you wouldn't cry when he delivered the news.

"What was your decision?" You spoke slowly and clearly. Isa caught your eyes.

"I want to take the next step in our relationship." He reached out and took your hand. "I think it's time that we get a dorm together."

"..." You were speechless. Nothing came to your mind as his fingers tightened on your wrist in anticipation.

"I'm certain that you haven't forgotten how to speak." He said, impatient.

"I'm sorry," you muttered at last. "I just didn't think you'd want to be with me."

Isa took your other hand. He was making a big show to be affectionate. "I do. I know that there have been...troubles between us, but I spoke with Braig. He pointed out that I may have caused this by not being serious about our relationship." He squeezed your fingers. "Move in with me. I want us to be together."

"You do?"

"Isn't that what you want as well?"

"O-of course, Isa. I love you. I want nothing more than to be with you. It's just-"

Isa put a finger on your lips. "I don't want to talk about it. I want us to put this all behind us. Move in with me."

You couldn't seem to answer. Lea came to your mind-that blasted little redhead! The very image of his goofy grin seemed to keep all words inside your throat. You wanted to talk to him first before making any decisions, even though you knew that was ridiculous. Lea wasn't your boyfriend. He was your partner in crime, your scandalous mistake as far as Isa thought. Yet, _you _would never call him a mistake. He'd been nothing but kind and supportive of you since Isa found out what happened. He was there when you needed help or when you cried, like that day in your bedroom where he offered to tell Isa the news himself. Or the night he spent with you in total innocence, keeping you warm and safe as you slept.

Isa's impatience grew. "You _will _move in with me, won't you?"

Your mouth moved before you could stop it. "Of course."

Isa's smile warmed your heart. He wanted to stay with you, despite what's happened. How could you deny a man who'd stick with you through anything?

... ... ... ...

You went home alone that night, as Isa had been called by his adopted family on some sort of emergency. He was taking a call in his dorm. When you got back, you found Lea walking down the other end of the hallway. He saw your face, more rosy and bright than either of you had seen in weeks, and a grin spread over his lips.

"You look like you had a good night," he said.

"I did," you replied. "And yourself?"

"Well, I was kinda down until I saw your smile." He stood before you, his heat building up as his positivity did. You blushed a bit. "What happened to you?"

"Well…." You felt your smile drop. You almost didn't want to tell him. "Isa asked me to get a dorm with him." If you hadn't spent so much time with him lately, you may have missed the flash of awkwardness in his eyes.

"That's great!" He said, patting your shoulders. "So, everything's okay with you guys?"

"I think so," you replied.

"Good. I'm glad." He rubbed your arms, then gave you a big hug. "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks." You returned the gesture, feeling better about Lea's kindness than the life-changing decision you made an hour ago.

"Now you can stop buggin' me and focus on your boyfriend," he joked, pulling back.

"I guess….." Lea ruffled your hair.

"C'mon, don't look so heartbroken. We'll still talk. We're friends, right?"

Your beam couldn't have been brighter. "Yes."

Lea looked over your head, his face darkening slightly. You turned around and saw Isa standing in the hall. His hands were shoved into his jacket pocket and he didn't seem particularly happy. Your mouth opened to start making excuses, but you closed it again. Lea had become a friend to you. You couldn't betray him by throwing him under the bus.

Not that it mattered, because he did it for you. "I was just congratulating you both on this new reminds me of the time when we were kids and you got that little green robot. Remember that?"

"Of course," Isa replied very cooly, moving his tense body to complete the standing triangle. "You got it for me when I was adopted."

"Yeah. I wanted it for myself, but I knew it'd make you happy to have it." Lea briefly glanced at you in the corner of his eye. "Congratulations to you both. I think you'll be really happy."

"Thanks." Isa pulled you into his arm. You couldn't relax beneath it while Lea was watching. He gave you both a quick nod as though he were a gentleman wearing a top hat.

"Don't stay up too late kids," he joked, smirking. "You've got class tomorrow."

As you watched Lea leave, a thought resounded beneath you. Little heart or not, you weren't going to spend the night with Isa.

"I'm going to bed," you told him instead. To try and make your justify your feelings in the relationship, you kissed his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

Isa looked like he had a million things that he wanted to say, but he simply brought his lips to your temple. "Yes. Goodnight."


	12. Part 12

The program in London. Moving in with Isa. _That _was stress you could handle if you had Lea to talk to. However, he wasn't around much after the night that Isa showed up. You felt lonely, even while you were with Isa. He seemed to sense it, but didn't offer much help. He grew increasingly distressed as you declined his presence after class _and _after dark. You didn't care, though; you just wanted Lea to speak to you again. You missed him. You wanted to tell him your troubles and listen to his. You wanted him to hold you at night again and keep you warm as winter started settling in. You would've normally felt bad about feeling this way while being with Isa, but you were starting to care very little about that.

"What about this one?" Isa showed you another dorm room online. He wanted to have things arranged before the next semester.

"It looks fine." You hadn't even glanced at it. You were in the library and your eyes were searching for Lea. So much for still being friends…. "Whatever you choose, hun."  
>Isa breathed in frustration through his nose. He logged off of the computer. "There is something else that we need to discuss."<p>

"What?" You turned to him at last.

"Your program will be taking you to London. We need to decide what we'll do when the time comes for you to leave."

"Oh." You hadn't thought much about that. "Well, what do you think?"

"If we're going to have any kind of future together, we'll need to work on our relationship." You rose a brow.

"Where are you going with this?"

"I'm saying that it may be best to wait to be shipped off to London until we have something solid planned."

You took a minute to configure a response. "So...you don't want me to go?"

"Not until we're ready."

"Until _we're_ ready?" Your voice was raising and Isa hushed you, but you weren't going to wait to discuss this. In frustration, you led Isa towards the Roof Access door. Lea hadn't made you a key, because he insisted that he didn't want you to start going to the special place without him. To your surprise, however, it was already unlocked. You went up before Isa, searching for Lea's presence. No matter where you looked, he was nowhere to be found. Maybe the librarian had forgotten to lock the door this time.

"I'm certain that we aren't supposed to be up here," Isa muttered, examining the chain link surrounding the edges of the building.

"We're fine." You whirled on your boyfriend. "What did you mean that you don't want me to go to London until 'we're' ready?"

"Do we have to argue this now?" Isa rolled his eyes.

"YES, since I apparently have no say in how my future plays out."

"I'm not trying to tell you that you can't go to London. I'm just advising that we wait for a while-"

"This isn't something I can just put off, Isa!" Out here, you could both yell without anyone taking notice. "It took years for me to get the qualifications for this program figured out, and months later to get an acceptance letter! If I don't take this chance now, I may never get it again."

"So you're putting this before our relationship?"

"It's not like that, Isa."

"Then what did you intend on doing when you got out there? Sending me letters? Skyping every night? You know how I feel about long-distance relationships."

"But these are my _dreams_ we're talking about, Isa!"

"You were never this adamant about London before. I'm starting to doubt your intentions."

"Doubt my _what_? What the hell would make you say that?!"

"Maybe you want to go to Queen Mary University for your studies, or _maybe_ you want to go out there to have another relation with some other man."

You felt your heart squeeze. "You knew?" was all you could summon.

Isa shifted, straightening his back and shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. "I knew the moment you and Lea presumably first met. You never could hide anything from me."

"W...why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I do love you, _, despite how ridiculous that might seem. Your mistakes aside, I can't see myself spending my life with anyone else but you. Believe me, I _tried _finding someone else while I was on my trip, but…. There's just no one like you."

"Isa…." This wasn't right. You shouldn't be dragging Isa around like this, and he shouldn't let you.

"I do want to know _why_ you did it." Isa's glare was fierce, his mouth still and set into a thick line. "Why did you betray me? And with my best friend?"

All of the excuses you thought you'd use came out: "I-I first of all didn't even know he was your best friend. And I was drunk and lonely and upset with our fight...It just happened." You resolved that you were pathetic. This was the kind of thing you thought you'd never do and always made fun of others for enacting the same lines and actions.

But it was too late to change.

Isa didn't look at you. "I could forgive you. I know that this is partially my fault for letting you get so loose and rebellious. But I could forgive all your actions if you make some changes."

"Loose? Rebellious?" Your mind was reeling. How did you let this get so out of hand? You should've seen _long_ ago what Isa truly thought of you.

"You must promise me that you'll never speak to Lea again-or any other male, until you can be trusted."

That was it. "Let me stop you there, Isa. You can try to tell me what to do with my studies and with most other things in my life, but you _cannot_ tell me who I'm allowed to be friends with. Lea is your best friend, and quickly became one of mine. Nothing can change that. _Nothing_."

The clock tower's bell rang out. You both stood your ground, stared intently at each other until silence fell upon you.

"He betrayed me," Isa spoke first, his voice quiet. "He will see no more sorrow or mercy from me, as I've tried to offer you."

"Say what you want about me," you said before he could go on, "but Lea _is_ a good person, despite his actions. He doesn't deserve this kind of treatment from his friends." You turned around, heading for the door.

"_!" Isa called out.

"I'm done, Isa! I'm done for good!" You hollered back, slamming the slumped entrance behind you. You didn't look back, nor did you have any desire to run back to that boy's arms. You needed to find Lea. He was what you desired now. Perhaps it was a bit childish to be thinking about heated passions with the redhead after ending your relationship with Isa, but it didn't matter to you anymore. Nothing mattered. Just him. Just Lea.

"Hey." You inhaled sharply at the voice. Larxene was beside you, a troubled expression in here eyes. "You ok?"

"No." You stated. Larxene nodded.

"I think half of the school heard your fight up there." She gestured to the fading roof access behind you.

"Geez." You stopped, letting your lungs catch up with your furious stride. "It was that bad?"

"Yeah." Larxene wrapped an arm around your shoulder. "Wanna talk about it?"

Tears slipped from the corner of your eyes. You couldn't even speak, so you shook your head instead.

"Ok." The blonde rubbed your shoulder. "Hey, I have an idea. Let me take you somewhere tonight."

"Where?" You wiped water from your cheeks.  
>"Somewhere that you can forget your troubles, just for tonight. I think it'd make you feel a lot better."<p>

"Okay…" You'd always hated the moping part of break-ups, be they real or in movies. You also didn't want to leave any opportunity for Isa to come and find you tonight. Until you could locate your red-headed friend, this seemed like it'd be a good distraction.

"Good. Trust me, honey, you'll love the guys at the Lucky XIII."


	13. Part 13

Larxene ordered you something that sounded exotic...and also made up. As you examined the rest of the world around you, you wondered how much the place had cost. The walls were old and cracked with holes (that looked to have been created by sledgehammers). The ceiling was drooping over you, threatening to collapse. The lighting was dim with strange light bulbs, turning the room purple. A low, stylish tune slithered across the floor. Everything was so calm, yet the 6 visitors meandering about were dancing with vicious energy.

"How do you like the place?" Larxene asked.

"It's cool," you muttered. In truth, you weren't sure that you were safe in there, but kept quiet. Larxene pushed a fizzy pink drink your way. You took a sip, entirely overwhelmed by a fruity buzz. Your thoughts began to whirl.

"Delicious, right?" Larxene laughed at your surprised expression.

"She's a doll, Twelve," said that man lounging at your table. Luxord, the gambler of the club, was grinning under his clean blonde beard. He was older than you were, but looked hip with diamond studs in his ears. He constantly shuffled a deck of white cards in his hands.

"I know, right?" Your roommate giggled as she stole a sip from your drink. She gave it back for you to guzzle down. Your head was spinning and soon the room was twirling with it. "We should initiate her when she's a bit more sober. I'm sure we could fit an 'X' in her name somehow." She looked to Dilan-or, in here, it was Xaldin. You grinned goofily at the black-haired boy. He was mixing you another pink surprise.

"He's kinda cute, huh?" Larxene muttered. Your cheeks flushed and you were unsure of whether it was because your friend was right, or because the fizzy drink was bubbling heat throughout your body. Your head nodded vigorously anyway. "You should 'try him on' then. He's good for a few rides." You tilted your head at her. You didn't know how to respond to that, though you were fairly sure that you didn't want Larxene's sloppy seconds (no matter how drunk you were).

"Don't tease the poor girl," Luxord insisted. "That's _my _job." He started dealing out hands to you, Larxene, and himself. "This round, we're playing Strip Poker."

"I ne'er played," you slurred, picking up your cards. The letters in black and red started blending.

"Then it'll be an easy win." The cool man winked. Larxene cackled loudly.

"You'll last a few rounds with dumb luck," she promised, stroking a black XII tattoo on her wrist. "I hope you wore the sexy underwear I got you last month!"

"I dunno that I wanna…." They didn't seem to be listening to you; they'd already started playing. You dumbly stared down at your cards, waiting for someone to tell you that it was your turn. Xaldin approached and leaned around you to put a neon green concoction by your hand. His breath tickled your neck and you jumped. When did he think it'd be okay to get so close? Your discomfort made him chuckled and he backed off, but not before you caught sight of the III behind his ear left ear.

Your curiosity made you try the new drink. This one filled your senses with limes. It was sour, but extremely tasty. It drowned your worries and sorrows better than the last one! You chugged it down within a few moments. Larxene told you to show your cards and, after they'd been tossed upon the table, yet _another _drink was in your fingers. This one was sky blue-drained within an exhale. Up next, Xaldin would be gifting you an orange beverage. There was no Lea, no Isa, no worries. Just a long, electric current going through your limbs.

You weren't sure when you passed out-or if you'd just suffered from short-term memory loss-but when you were mostly conscious again, you were in a room you didn't recognize. It still had the old walls and exhausted ceiling, but now there were three dirt brown couches and dozens of retired bean bag chairs. All fabrics were rave type colors in the still-violent ambience, but it seemed out of place. You slowly rose from the sofa you occupied. Your shirt had disappeared, leaving only your skinny jeans and a black undershirt that was getting too small for your adult figure. You glanced around.

"Glad to see you're awake, sweetheart," Luxord said on a bean bag beside you. Your heart nearly sprung out of your chest in shock.

"Wha….?" Was all you could utter. Moving your head or mouth too quickly made the room start swaying again. You could almost feel the drinks sloshing around inside of your liver.

"You're a pretty good poker player. Kept me on my toes for a while...before you passed out." Luxord was wearing a long black trenchcoat and matching sweatpants. You could only imagine what he was hiding beneath it (as you had no memory of the strip poker match).

"Where's...Larxene?" As you muttered the name, the blonde burst into the room.

"Woooops!" She released an unnatural laugh. "Looks like this 'initiation' room is taken." She tugged on the sleeve of a huge hulking man behind her. You caught a glimpse of his frizzy ginger hair and a square jaw (which Larxene was biting as she shut the door behind them).

"Ah, Larxene." Luxord shook his head. "She's one of our most energetic members. Did she tell you about our Organization?"

Your head wobbled, but he got the point. You hadn't had this mentioned before.

"It was just going to be a cool club for us outcasts, but then it became the home and family for those without hearts. We share no rules, no remorse, no depression. Only fun and pleasure." The man's voice purred, just as a cat would right before pouncing at its prey. "There were 13 of us that made the original group, but we've had some members leave."

"Uhnn…." You felt like your stomach was going to erupt through your throat. Luxord took no mind.

"Do you know who some of the members were? Your boy, Isa, used to be a prominent follower back in the day. But he just couldn't stand the idea of sharing you with the group-or quitting his goody two-shoes act-so he disbanded. Then there was Lea-oh, he was the funnest part of the gang! But he, too, grew out of us. It's a shame when all of the good people find the light, isn't it?" You tried to process all of what he was saying, but it knew it was going to be easier to consider once you're head and body cleared up the toxic in your system.

"I wanna go home…." You said. Your stomach didn't want you to sit up, so you knew that you'd need someone to help you out of there. Maybe Luxord would be kind.

"_This_ can be your new home, doll face." Luxord shifted from his seat and over to yours. "We take care of our own here. And we'll take care of you...as long as you do the same for us." He growled as his teeth found the sensitive crease of your neck. You flinched and tried to push him away, but his lean arms leached onto your hips to hold you in place. You struggled against him; it only made his enthusiasm grow.

"Get off!" You yelled, your adrenaline attempting to make you a bit more sober.

"Just calm down, sweetheart," Luxord whispered into your temple. "You'll enjoy this."

"No!" You shoved hard, tipping Luxord back into the cushions. He brought you with him so you were on top. He crushed you to his chest, imprisoning you to his pectorals. Beneath his shirt, you were flashed a glimpse of the tattoo labeling Luxord as roman numeral 10.

"C'mon, love. Show me what you didn't during our game." Before he could move his hands anywhere too private, the door burst open and you were yanked hard off of the man.

"Still can't get a girl with your charms, eh, Luxord?" Lea was trying to joke, but his tone was tinged with ice. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders and held you to him.

"Axel," Luxord spoke, leaning back casually into the seat. "Welcome back."

"It's Lea," your friend insisted. "And I'm not back. I just came to heroically save the damsel in distress." He turned you both around and led you out.

"You'll come back to us, I'm sure," Luxord called after Lea. "You can't just quit the team, man. It's not that simple."

"Really? Because I'm walkin' out of here pretty easily." You were pulled out into the cold night air, the door slamming behind you.

"Th-thank you," you mumbled, shivering as the alcohol started freezing in your veins. Lea rubbed your shoulders with his gloved hands, but said nothing. He led you to a car nearby. You recognized it as Isa's Impala and saw the blue-haired boy sitting in the driver's seat. He straightened up when Lea pushed you into the backseat. He took his place up front with Isa after buckling you in.

"What were you thinking?" Isa scolded you. "We told you not to go in there-"

"Isa." Lea had to only speak the name to make the boy fall silent. "Not now. She's not sober enough to hear you out. Let's just take her home."

Your body convulsed and you put a hand to your mouth. Both boys said, "Aw, shit" in unison and Lea was back out of the car to open your door. All of your midnight drinks escaped at once, creating a black tar against the pavement. Lea rubbed the back of your neck and held your hair up as you emptied the contents of your stomach. When you were finished, he buckled you back in. Your body plopped on its side, taking up the entire back area. You didn't feel sick anymore; you were just sleepy.

Lea returned to the front and, when Isa gave him a disgusted glare, the redhead rose his hands and said, "What? At least it wasn't in your car."


	14. Part 14

You wanted to sleep through the next day. Your head was pounding and no amount of potion was going to fix it. So, you remained hidden beneath your covers. Your stomach was still upset with you and more than once, you wanted to rise to bolt to the restroom. However, you battled through it without blowing anymore chunks. What may have helped is that you didn't eat or drink anything, despite someone nagging you to swallow cup fulls of water every few hours.

Finally, after some time to heal, your body felt just well enough to sit up. You heard the static from your hair and pillow's dance as you lifted your head and took a view around the room.

Wait...this wasn't _your_ room. This was someone else's. As your bleary gaze examined the place, you realized that you were in Isa's dorm. The boy seemed to be absent, but you saw instead a very drowsy redhead. He was dozing off on a stool beside yours-or, _Isa's_-bed. Lea had moved over his comforter to shield from the wintery atmosphere. You could smell masculine cinnamon coming off of it and buried your face into the fabric. You breathed lungfuls at a time. It made you so happy to be there.

"Hey." You pulled your head back up and viewed the boy next to you. He smiled softly. "How are you doing?"

"Fine." Your voice was hoarse, since you hadn't used it for a while. Lea chuckled a bit.

"I'm not going to lie, but you're going to feel like _hell_ for a while."

You groaned. "What was in those drinks?"

"Dozens of things that you _don't _want to know about." Lea reached over and held your hands as your face cringed. They filled your body with a late sunset. "I'm glad you're alright." You felt better already.

"Thank you."

Then, his face grew serious, withdrawing his hands. "That was really reckless of you, going to the Lucky XIII."

"So?" You pulled the blankets up past your shoulders. They suddenly didn't feel as cozy.

"SO? So you nearly had a 27 year old start to…." He saw your discomfort and didn't finish the thought. "The point is, what you did was stupid. You shouldn't have gone there just because you were pissed with Isa."

"Then why did _you _join the club?"

Lea sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Look, Isa and I both made some stupid decisions. Joining that club was just our way of keeping our independence. That's what we thought, at least." Lea rose his white tee above his head. While you oggled his many toned muscles, he turned to point something out. Above his right shoulder blade was the numeral VIII. You didn't remember seeing that while you were scandalizing.

Isa walked in at that point, staring at the scene strangely. Lea laughed lightly at the look and pulled his shirt back on.

"Now you show her yours," the redhead challenged. Isa rose a brow, then glanced at you. He appeared much gentler now, though still held a seriousness in his countenance. Perhaps there was even remorse. Isa sighed and pulled up his navy polo. On the lower left of his back sat a VII.

"What do they mean?" You muttered. You'd seen Isa's tattoo before, but he never explained its origin.

"They're our member numbers," Isa explained. "We all have one in the order of when we joined."

"The club was meant to be just for fun for the people that were given the boot on good, normal lives. After a while, though, it went too far. We became more of a gang than a group of kids goofing off."

"We didn't want to get involved with their mischief," Isa continued. "So we disbanded while we could."

"That's why it was stupid of you to go there." Lea folded his arms. "You didn't have any idea what to expect. It was reckless of you to get into that."

Thinking of Luxord, you shivered. "I'm sorry," you muttered.

"You worried us." Isa stated it clearly at first, then looked away, embarrassed to meet your gaze.

"I'm sorry."

"You should be, kid," Lea muttered, pushing your shoulders back down. "You should go back to sleep. You drank _a lot_. And I told you that you were a lightweight."

"Shuddap." The warm blankets were fantastic against your body. You burrowed into them, feeling your mind quiet inside of them.

You were almost asleep when you heard voices.

"Is she asleep?" You identified that one as Isa.

"Yeah, she looks it." That one was Lea. "It's about time she got some rest."

"Why would she have gone there of all places?" You heard someone moving around.

"Because of your fight, man. You're lucky I was on the roof and saw her heading out with Larxene." There was silence. "Look, I know that you just wanted to be with her, but you can't keep her from being who she is. Otherwise, you get rebellious phases like this."

"So it's all my fault that this happened, as usual." Someone flopped onto one of the other beds-you heard a blanket make a light crumple.

"It's not your fault. _ didn't need to make such stupid decisions."

You waited for a while to hear more, but there was nothing said for a long time. You started to sit up when Isa spoke up.

"Why did you do it? Why did you sleep with her?"

Lea took even more time to answer. "I don't know, man."

"You do. And you suck at lying."

"Heh." There was a deep sigh. "I was jealous that you had her. I thought it was just because I wanted to thank her for turning my life around, but it became...more. That night, she looked into the stars and that was the clearest I'd ever seen anyone's eyes-even drunk. I was..._drawn_ to her, like I was the night she helped me out. I didn't mean to hurt you, Isa. I wanted to know what you had. I wanted _her_." A small laugh echoed. "I guess I'm just an ass."

"You are."

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry. Not as sorry as I should be, but…"

A small chuckled came from Isa this time. "At least you're honest."

"What're you going to do now?"

"I don't know." Something shifted. "I can't imagine my life without her anymore. I was so controlling, but only because I was afraid to lose her. I didn't want to drive her to.._.this_."

Another long silence. "Listen, Isa, I can tell that you love her, but if you want this to work, you need to stop being so uptight and paranoid. If you love and _trust _her, she won't do this crazy shit."

"If I want this to work? That's assuming that she wants to take me back."

"I'm sure she does. You're the catch of the century."

"What about you, Lea?"

"Hmm?"

"You surely don't expect me to believe that you don't want her for yourself."

"I expect you to believe it."

"Because it's true that you don't love her?"

"Since when did you associate the word love with me?"

"You're avoiding the question." Isa's voice was rising, but he struggled to control it.

"I'm not avoiding it. I'm just not answering."  
>"Exactly. Tell me the truth."<p>

"About what?"

"_LEA." _The redhead was shut up for a moment. "I've seen the way you look at her. You're terribly obvious about your emotions, which I imagine is the reason you avoided her for all of these years ….You love her, don't you?"

There was no answer. The lack of sound went on for just under 20 minutes. It gave you enough time to fall into a deep sleep, though you were desperate to know the answer to Isa's question. You loved Lea. You didn't know how or when. You loved being with him, you loved his kindness, you loved his ridiculously sarcastic nature. You loved spending that night with him, skin to skin in the sand. You had fallen for this man, and hoped with all of your heart that he felt the same.


	15. Part 15

Life had nearly gone back to normal. The holidays were approaching and you were struggling to finish all of your assignments before the fall semester ended. You had little time to think of Lea or Isa as you threw your mind into cram-sessions for your finals. The chilly weather outside was avoided by furious notetaking in the safety of your bed covers. Larxene acted as though nothing had happened at the Lucky XIII and left you to your studies as she scribbled in her own notebooks. You felt like you should've been furious with her, that you should've disbanded from what little friendship you had entirely, but there was just no time.

The week approached when you had your last exams of the semester, and you finished them with flying colors. (Or at least you hoped, as you'd have to await the results of your tests for another week or two). It was at that time that you could finally reflect on your life-changing events up to that point.

Lea had been kind and greeted you in the halls or library, but said very little to you otherwise. Perhaps he had been distracted by his own preparations for finals, but you had some doubts that it was the only reason he hadn't come to visit you. You wished that you knew where he was so you could look at him for a moment and decide what you really wanted from him: a friendship from the insane consequences of your scandals, or a relationship that defied the social contract of love and loyalty?

Then there was Isa. You wondered what you wanted from him, too. You hadn't heard from him lately, either. During class, you'd both disregarded each others' presence to focus on getting your work done on time. You had made little effort to acknowledge his presence, although you considered that he may have tried to talk to you once or twice. You weren't sure.

Larxene came in from a test. She gave you her usual grin. "Finally done and ready to party!" She ignored your looks of dismay; now that you could focus on your social life instead of school, you remembered that you didn't appreciate your roommate from leaving you with a creepy older man. The girl flopped onto her bed, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "You staying around here for your Christmas break?"

"I'm not sure yet," you answered carefully.

"If you stick around, I'd be totally up to doing something with you."

"Larxene," you spoke, your voice tightening. "I don't think we'll do that. I'm still reeling from my visit to the Lucky XIII."

"Oh." She sat up, her eyes looking down towards the floor. "Listen, I didn't think that Luxord would…." You looked out to the window. Snow had started falling, oddly enough, and was dusting the tops of the roofs and the grass.

"I'll be looking for a new dorm," you stated. "I'm hoping to get one with Kairi, or get one on my own, whatever works best."

"Hey, I didn't mean-" You gave Larxene a look that shut her up.

"Even if you didn't mean anything, you didn't help the situation either." You stood. "This isn't totally personal. I needed to get out on my own, anyway." You picked up your jacket and left.

The snow fell quick and fast. Despite being on the coast, the air was intensely cold and frosty. You weren't sure where you were headed, but ended up on the library roof. It was empty, the setting sun losing its last ray behind the horizon. It was only going to get colder from there. You leaned against the chain fence, your fingers freezing on the cold metal as you clung to it.

"Hey." You turned around. Isa had followed you up. You weren't sure when he'd seen you, though he'd most likely been in the library studying his next semester's projects. The boy had on his usual jacket. He was watching you from a distance.

"Hey," you greeted back. Isa put a hand to his shoulder, thinking deeply about what he would say next.

"So, what will you do now?" Did he mean regarding him? Or Lea? Or your program?

You answered as you felt was correct. "I think I'll find a new dorm, finish out next semester, then go to London like I'd planned."

"What about us?" Ah, he finally asked it. You hadn't prepared an answer for him, but it came to you now as easy as breathing.

"I think we're best apart." He met your gaze steadily, but didn't look surprised. "If we'd actually loved each other, I never would've done what I did. That doesn't excuse anything, but I think that we've hurt each other enough…"

Isa nodded. He walked to your side, looking over the snow-swept town. "Does this mean that you'll be going with Lea now?"

"Does it matter?" You gave a small laugh when you asked, and he did, too.

"I suppose it isn't my business to ask, anymore."

"Always logical, Isa."

He reached out for your hand, but thought better and took your arm.

"I wish it didn't happen this way," he said. "I meant it when I said I love you."

"I know." But this was what needed to happen. You were supposed to separate from Isa, as you'd done enough damage to each other. However, there was something that you wanted to know. "Why did you come to help me that night?"

Isa released you and started walking away. "Didn't I just tell you?" He glanced at you over his shoulder. "I meant it when I said it."

"You didn't have to." You called over.

"I know."

When he was gone, you knew that it wouldn't be that easy. You and Isa would have those awkward walks down the hall where you'd stray to opposite sides of the wall to avoid each other. You'd still be friends with each others friends, and it'd take years for you to forget how close you used to be. In fact, you may never forget those memories of kissing and snuggling and talking and scandalizing. But there could be a day where you'd at least coexist peacefully. You'd just have to wait and see.

You phone vibrated. You pulled it out; Isa had sent you a quick message: _Lea is finishing something up in town. If you wait in the library, you may be able to see him._

You smiled, rueful tears streaming down your face. Isa was still a good man. Even if he took this breakup in anger and hate, he still found something in his heart that wanted to support your budding...something with Lea.

You swiftly sent Lea a text to meet you in the library when he returned from town, then when inside to wait.

The boy took hours to get back to you. You waited in the library long past 7, but knew that it could be worth it if you got to see him tonight. At last, the sound of footsteps approached the spot where you were hiding. You leaned off of the bookcase and stood up just as Lea rounded the corner.

"Hey, kiddo," he said with a smile. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk to you about something." He tipped to the side, his shoulder against the edge of a case.

"Sure. Shoot."

He must've thought you were going to ask about finals or grades or the holidays, because he was surprised when you instead inquired, "What's our next step?"

"Our next what?"

"Our next step in our relationship. Was this whole crazy experience just a thing that will blow over in a week? Or was there something more that grew between us?" Lea looked very confused, so you added, "I need to know before the break. I just...need to know what's going to happen with us before the holidays start and we don't hear from each other for weeks."

Lea looked to the floor, creases started to reveal themselves in his forehead. "Have you talked to Isa yet?"

"Yeah. I broke things off for good." You hated that he was avoiding the question. It was quite possibly the only thing that you didn't like about the redhead. "What do you feel for me?"

"I wonder what his face was like. Probably all serious still, huh?"

"Lea, please." You huffed and then approached him to put your hands against his chest. You _had _to get an honest response out of him. "How about this: I'll go first. I think I'm falling in love with you." Great, as if you didn't seem cliche enough. "You've been a great friend through this whole thing. I know that it'd be weird at first, because of Isa and all, but I really care about you. That's why I need to know how you really feel about me."

Lea stared down at you, and you saw why he never looked at you during serious conversations before: his eyes revealed everything. You saw intense emotions swell within those emeralds: confusion, joy, remorse, hesitation, uncertainty. He was an open book when you were holding his gaze. He was struggling to hold it all back.

"I'd be lying if I said that I didn't feel the same," he at last relented. "From every moment after that night on the beach, it's been nagging at me. Heh, it's actually _really _obnoxious sometimes…"

"So you…." He felt love for you, too. You wanted to leap for joy, but knew you should wait for the "however".

"I don't know if it's right, considering that Isa's our…."

There it was. You pulled back, nodding and smiling with your eyes closed to hold back the tears.

"You're right. It wouldn't be fair to him." You gave a bow of your head. "Well, then don't worry about what I said. I'll get out of your hair."

"_." Lea reached out to you, but you'd already left. He sighed aloud.

"_This_ is what you wanted me to hear?" Isa muttered, coming out from his hiding spot.

"I just didn't want to be on any poor terms with you, man." Lea turned around, his face filled with remorse towards how he treated you. "I wouldn't date her, because I know it'd hurt you. You're like my brother, man. It can't make up for what I did to you a few months ago, but still."

"You don't have to do that." Isa laid his back on the other side of the bookcase. The boys mirrored each other's stance.

"I know."

"Do you really love her, too? Truly?"

"Does it matter?"  
>"Yes. Because if you don't go after her right now, I will." Lea looked through the books at his friend's head.<p>

"Is that a challenge?" Lea was half-joking, but Isa was dead serious.

"Face it, Lea, you've always done what you wanted. Does it really matter what I think or how I feel?"

"Of course it does. You're my best friend."

Isa chuckled-not ironically, but kindly. "Just go. And hurry before she disappears to London."

Lea tried again. "Isa, our friendship means more to me than anything."

"Shut up, Lea." He looked over at the boy through the bookcase cracks. "Just go."

"Isa-"

"Go, Lea. Stop talking and get moving. Go before it's too late."

Lea waited for a few moments, trying to decide what to do. With one last look from Isa, the redhead sprinted off to find you.

You'd started crying as soon as you exited. You'd lost both men you cared about. Isa needed to be separated from you so that he wasn't hurt anymore, and you needed to leave Lea alone so he could rekindle his friendship with your ex. You had no right to mess with either of their lives.

"Hey!" Lea ran over to you, calling out your name. You whirled around, unable to hide your tears fast enough from the boy. He saw your face and, once he caught up to you, ran his fingers over your streams. He brushed them all away while pulling your face up to his. His lips were burning as they pressed on yours. He kissed you with such gentle force that it made you light-headed. He only progressively got fiercer when he realized that you were kissing him back.

You pulled back, though felt like you could've gone forever sharing air. You met his gaze. "I thought you didn't-"

"Guys say a lot of things when a girl sneaks up with an 'I love you'." He put his lips to yours again. "You shouldn't catch me off-guard like that again."

"But Isa…"

He pulled back. "I know."

"A-and London…." You'd wanted nothing more than to be with Lea, but now that it happening, your mind started whirling with a bunch of negative thoughts. "What are we going to do about them?"

"We'll figure it out." He wrapped his arms around your waist.

"B-but-"

"Look, kid, I didn't say that I had all of the answers. I just want to be with you." You started to speak again, but he put his fingers over your lips. "We'll figure it out."

He put his forehead against yours, laughing at how cold your nose was against his. You complained that just because he was a male space-heater didn't mean that he could laugh at your chilly female skin. He kissed you again, promising to warm you up properly if you only asked. You tried to, but Lea insisted that you needed to add a "pretty please with a cherry on top". You did, but he wasn't satisfied. He led you inside, trying to come up with ways that you could beg him for warmth, but he caved in with a kiss on the cheek.

It'd work. You know that somehow, this relationship would be okay despite Isa and London and all of the rest. You'd find a way.

... ... ... ... ...

This concludes the series! I hope you all enjoyed the journey. :) Thank you for all of your support and lovely comments! :D


End file.
